


Fódlan's Destiny

by Cronista



Category: Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama & Romance, F/M, I make some small shadow editing, I'm Bad At Tagging, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23192920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cronista/pseuds/Cronista
Summary: This is the story of three houses, a nation divided by war and faith. And in the center of everything is a mercenary turned to a teacher, a soon to be Emperor with dark ambitions and two students that will find a reason to fight and live.A retelling of the events of Fire Emblem Three houses from the point of view of Byleth, Edelgard, Felix and Annette.
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Marianne von Edmund, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Sylvain Jose Gautier, Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/Bernadetta von Varley
Comments: 11
Kudos: 8





	1. The Monastery

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, this is my first Fire Emblem fic and my second one altogether. This idea came to me right after finishing the Ashen Wolves DLC. I wanted to make my ideal story of how Fire Emblem Three Houses came down. So yeah, this is a retelling of the game with some minor and major differences here and there.  
> It will also be a somehow a romance story, with the main character being Byleth, Edelgard, Felix and Annette.  
> It's my first fic in this website so please bare with me while I try to figure out how all of this work XD  
> Hope you enjoy it.
> 
> I do not own Fire Emblem of it's characters.

I

Traveling around Fódlan was both a luxury and a dangerous business. Although The Empire, The Alliance and The Kingdom had been on a lasting peace so far. Most of the conflicts were limited to, in, around or between the Lords' domains being for a territorial dispute, being an economical matter. The reasons didn't matter, the important thing is that the ones who suffered the most were the little townspeople, the investability and the constant attacks of bandits made the living harder than it should be.  
As mercenary, Byleth traveled around the continent following his father Jeralt not really caring for political or social standards. He was quite skilled with any weapon he could get hands on to and most of their greatest victories were thanks to Byleth prodigal knowledge of the battlefield and foresight. He had a talent, but how to explode it he didn't know.  
The night there youngsters appeared to request Jeralt's help was when everything changed.  
All three of them was remarkable in both decorum and skill. There was this youthful man dressed in yellow who's warm smile looked like it was permanently attached to his face, his name was Cloude, the other man was dressed in all blue, is mannerisms were something to see to believe, he was like a prince taken out right from a fairy tale with his shinny blue eyes and golden hair, his name was Dimitri.  
But Byleth had to take a look twice to the third person, a very small young woman dressed in red and black, and although her stature wasn't all that amazing, she had an aura of athority and determination that almost made Byleth flich when she looked at him with those deep purple eyes. Her white hair was out of this world, unnatural and alluring in a sense, with a delicate body like that someone would think of her as a talented magic caster or a small sword user, maybe even a pegasus knight…but no, the young Edelgard Von Hreavelg was a powerful Ace user and smited the poor bandits coming after her and her companions.  
As if not enough strange occurances happened in one night, he was transported to a dream like state just when the leader of the bandits was about kill Edelgard and the mercenary jumped between them receiving the hit.  
He could barely remember what happened next, a small little girl called Sothis with the smugiest face he had ever seen saved him from death by turning back time.  
And now he was walking through the hallways of Garrett Mach Monastery were his father had spent his younger years as Captain of the Knights of Seiros.  
Then he met the Archbishop Rhea, a woman with a kind expresión and a voice to match. She had the divine aura of a goddess and... wait, they wanted him to what?  
"They want you to teach here" Jeralt repeated without holding back a smirk.  
"You mean like in a classroom and looking after some bratty kids?" Byleth said annoyed "I thought we'll just say hi or something and go on our way. And now you're telling me we are staying here?"  
"They offered me my old job as Captain, that would make us a lot of money and we'll have three meals a day and a soft bed. You know at my age I can't be wandering around Fódlan forever, sleeping on the ground and out in the cold" He explained with a soft tone "You are welcome to take my place as the leader of the band of mercenaries instead if you want"  
Byleth looked away, no, he didn't know how to properly manage a business like a mercenary company, he was a man of battle and tactics, not management which bed the question of why the thought he could be a good teacher.  
"That's what I thought" Jeralt said hitting him in the back "Now go, you should get to know your future students!"  
Byleth left the second floor feeling like he had just enter to a bizarre nightmare.

II

Strolling through the dorms was a orange haired girl, her steps had some kind of rhythm to it, she was happy because she just got and A plus in Theory and Reason, her favorite class right after cocking, although the second one was an elective. She stopped right in her track when she heard two female students talking about a band of mercenary in the monastery.  
"Did you managed to see the leader?" One of the girls ask.  
"Yes, he was a big man with a weird haircut, I heard from Leonie he is quite the fighter. But there is this other guy."  
"Other guy?"  
"I don't know if he is is assistant or his son, although the don't look much alike. He is quite handsome with dark green hair, but always has that boring expression on his face."  
"Sound like Felix to me. Do you think he is attending this school?"  
"Maybe, I saw him walking around the classrooms"  
The orange haired girl's interest picked up and she walked to the classroom area. There were to many students going around since it was recess. She picked her head around the corner to scan the area and then she saw him.  
He was talking with Claude near the Golden Deer classroom. His clothes were strange and making justice to the other student's comment, yes he looked bored as all hell.  
"What are you doing, Annette?" A cold voice spoke just a few centimeters behind her causing her to squeal and some of the people around them turn to see them.  
"Felix! Why did you scared me like that?" Annette said waving her arms in the air in frustration.  
"It's not my fault you are such a scary cat"  
"I'm not!"  
"Whatever, so who were you spying on?"  
"I wasn't- *sight* whatever, there" she said pointing at the man with the green hair "I heard some girls talking and it looks like that guy is going to be a student here. Weird thing is that he seems to be a mercenary"  
"So he brought his way in. What so strange about him, he looks bland as hell"  
"He also seems to be the son of Jeralt Reus Eisner"  
The bland expression on Felix's face then changed slightly, the adamant swordsman was very hard to impress, but Annette knew he was excited when his yellow eyes let out that special glow.  
"So that means that we will finally have some decent challenge around here"  
Annette let out a sight "Always thinking on fighting, are you?"  
"At least I'm not always in the clouds like you, thinking on stupid things"  
Annette looked at him with a frown "No, you are actually in the earth like brick, or better yet, like a brick head"  
"Whatever, I have to go train. See you at class"  
With that Felix walked away. Annette decided to go tell her best friend Mercedes about the new student.  
Annette noticed the smell of sour almyran tea in her hair, it was Felix's favorite. The young woman wondered if she found some of that she can make the swordsman a little more open minded and not so angry all the time.

III

Well, Byleth had to admit it, his father was right on one side. The monastery was truly a marvelous piece of architecture, the green house, the cathedral, the market, it was all like a little city inside a fortress were the student could grow in mind and body without worrying about outside world problems.  
Even though Byleth was a man of war, he always wanted to live his final years in peace and enjoy reading books and new ways of fighting. But he was only 21, can he really leave the life of a mercenary on such a short age? Can he really teach this kids to be warriors?  
This were the people that would rule Fódlan for Seiros' sake! He was just a mercenary with really bad organizational skills and-  
He was interrupted when someone laid a hand on his shoulders, he turned to see that white hair girl, Edelgard was her name was it? And the first in line to the throne of Adestris.  
"Oh, Lady Edelgard." He said with a bow "Is there something I can help you with?"  
"You know is just Edelgard, right?" She said with a smile.  
"Funny, Cloude and Dimitri said the same thing"  
"We are not seperated by status here, even though Hubert can't help but still call me by my title, but I have already given up on him" she shrugged "On another note, I heard you had been wondering around the Monastery. Are you liking the place?"  
"Quite a lot, actually. I never expected a military academy to be so...mmm I want to say harmonious"  
She let out a little laugh, it was brief and small but not out of place at all "Is the first time a heard that word to describe the academy. But is quite fitting." She turned around signazing the mess hall "If you're hungry I would love to share a meal with you"  
"That would be perfect, thank you."  
When they reached the mess hall his nose was assaulted by the delicious smell of roasted beef with boiled vegetables and smashed potatoes. Although the lunch was already been served, there were two students still cocking in a little corner on the left, a tall girl with ashen yellow hair and a very small red headed girl.  
Byleth and Edelgard took a seat near a window, on the other side of the table was that upbeat boy called Caspar and his friend from the Blue Lions house Ashe.  
"Greetings, Ashe Caspar, may we join you?"  
"You bet!" Said Caspar and then he turned towards Byleth "Hi-ya, you're from those mercenaries right?"  
"Yes, my name is Byleth"  
"Beileth, got it"  
"No no, it's said Bai-leth"  
"What a strange name" said Ashe "Are you perhaps from outside Fódlan?"  
"Nope. Born and raised. Although a never knew my mother, she died giving birth to me and, well my father doesn't talk about her much"  
"Oh, I'm sorry I asked"  
"It's okay, but tell me, you guys must have some experience in battle" he said changing subject.  
"We have only been in a few missions and I'm mostly shooting arrows from afar."  
"Not like me" said Caspar with a wide grin "I like to beat the crap out of those bandits with my very own punches"  
"So you are a brawler, that's a hard class to master but very powerful when you do"  
"You bet, you and me should have a sparring contest"  
"Caspar, he had only been here for a few hours and you already want to pick a fight with him?" Said Edelgard with a disapproving frown.  
"What? If is going to study with us I need to test him to see if he is fighter material"  
"I'm quite sure he had been way more battles than you"  
Then an idea came to Byleth's mind "Actually I might be a good idea" he said with a smile "Yes Caspar, I accept your challenge"  
"But you guys just ate" Ashe protested.  
Caspar let out a big laugh "No better time to fight but with a happy stomach!" He stood on the wooden chair "Hey everyone, the new guy and me are going to fight in the training ground, come see"  
"Goodness" said Edelgard trying to hide her face but she raised her head when Byleth offered his hand.  
"Come on, it will be fun"  
Edelgard hesitated for a second before taking it. They were followed by all the students in the mess hall 

"Annette, o don't think you should keep adding more of that kind of salt" Mercedes said looking at the weird yellow liquid they were cooking and was supposed to be a chicken stew. But it looked and smelled like puke.  
The red headed girl let go on the spoon with a sad face "Why can't I do this right?"  
Mercedes put a hand on her shoulder "You will eventually do it right, Annette. You just need practice.  
Then they heard the raking of people going out of the mess hall like a stampede "What's happening?" Annette asked to a student.  
"Caspar is fighting the new green guy in the training grounds" he answered "Let's go see it"  
"Oh, but I have to clean this"  
"Don't worry dear" one of the employees in the kitchen said "I'll take care of it, go have fun"  
"Thank you very much" she said with a bow and went out of the kitchen onto the training grounds.

IV

"The hell it's all that noise" Felix complain interrupting his training session with Dimitri and Dedue. If there was one thing he hated the most was to be bothered during training.  
Suddenly a lot of student were entering the training grounds and making noise.  
"Is that Caspar?" Dedue asked. It was indeed the green hair boy and it looked like he was causing the racquet, but then beside home were Edelgard and that new student with weird clothes.  
"Edelgard, what is the meaning of this?" Dimitri asked.  
"Don't ask me. This was Caspar's idea"  
They turned towards Caspar who was already getting is wooden gloves. To Felix's surprise the new guy was also taking a training sword.  
"Alright, new kid" Caspar smiled "It's time for the show"  
"Wait a minute" Felix said "We were in the middle of our training, you can't just barge in a turned this into a spectacle"  
"Aw, but come on Felix we are just having fun"  
The new guy interjected "And besides you can consider this some kind of training"  
"You shut up" Felix said pointing the sword at him.  
"The name is Byleth, you little brat"  
Everyone in the courtyard made a ooohhh and gasped. Felix almost felt a vein explode in his forehead while turning to Byleth "What did you just called me"  
"You heard me"  
Fleix stood silence for a second "You know what? Caspar, I'll be taking this one for you"  
"What? No way, I asked for a match first"  
"Well too bad"  
Byleth made a smug smile that made Felix angrier "You can both take me on if you want. I'm fact, Caspar is from the Black Eagles and Felix is from the Blue Lions, so" Byleth turned to Claude who was actually smiling, it seemed the little argument was amusing to him "Why don't you choose the best warrior from the Golden Deer house? I'll face all three of the best"  
A murmur ran around the field while Cloude smiled away "You are quite the show off aren't you?"  
"It's just an idea I had. Would you comply?"  
Cloude turned his eyes to the pink hair by his side "Hilda, you're up."  
"Ugh do I have to?" The girl complaint.  
"Yes please, and if you win I'll buy you dessert for a whole month"  
Almost at lightning speed Hilda took a training Ace and jumped to the courtyard.  
"We are all set then" Byleth walked to the center and took his stance. It was a very weird stance, with the sword over his shoulder and practically letting his front guard down. Felix almost smiled seeing how inexperienced this guy was to advance strategy. He was probably used to fight mere brigands without professional training.  
The three students approached slowly and of course Caspar was the first to attack.  
Byleth let out a smile, a rare occurrence in his face "Lesson One: if you are feeling confident, you can attack first, but never charge" he said twirling on his leg like he was dancing, he dodged Caspar's fist and hit him in the back with the wooden sword, if it were a real one Caspar would had gotten a pretty bad cut on his back. "This is a duel, not a battlefield, your opponent's attention won't be on no other than you"  
Byleth was distracted and of course Felix and Hilda took the chance to strike him from behind, but the mercenary was merely pretending and jumped back dodging Hilda's axe and blocked Felix's sword. He was stronger than Felix thought, he could hold against Felix's two handed technique with only one hand.  
But the student slide the wooden blade across his enemy's and move to one side to make a spinning cut. Byleth flexed his legs so he was able to avoid the hit.  
Caspar appeared from the other side and tried to punch Byleth right in the face. He wasn't lucky for you see, the mercenary was just waiting until both student were near so he dodge both hits and the second one connected with Felix's white face sending him against a pillar.  
"Lesson Two" Byleth said "When facing the same opponent it is important to corner him, but if you let yourself get too close to your partner you could hurt him or her like was just happened"  
Felix needed a moment to recover from the hit, Caspar was an expert brawler and his raw strength could only be matched by Dedue's or Raphael's.  
He put himself together only to see how easily Byleth dodge another of Hilda's attack with such precision and speed he looked like a leaf in the wing, and the three students were trying to catch it and failing miserably.  
A leaf in the wing? Of course!  
He stood up just at the moment that Byleth kicked Caspar in the the leg to destabilize him, he grabbed Hilda by her shirt and threw her with an incredible strength towards Caspar. Both student rolled towards the crowd and hit the wall, both grunting and trying to stand but they were both to dizzy to keep the fight.  
Byleth turned to Felix and the young man could swear he could kill him with his gaze.  
He didn't let that intimidate him and concentrate his thoughts.  
Just as he was collecting his thoughts, Byleth took a stand "Lesson Three: If is a one on one duel, speed and precision are the key"  
Speed and precision alright, does were the best qualities of Felix Hugo Flardarius and he will put it to good use.  
Felix took a stand and breathed slowly, ignoring everything and everyone, in a moment of brief distraction he saw Anette dedicating him two thumbs up. He didn't looked twice.  
The moment was right when he saw how Byleth move his right ankle in a motion to jumped forward so Felix quickly, almost like a hawk, try to dodge the hit that he thought would come. But he wasn't leaping forward.  
Instead Byleth made a spin again changing the direction he was going with the same ankle, it was a bold move that done wrong could course some serious damage to the leg. But he mercenary performed it with perfect synchrony and the reward was a swing around Felix's sword that landed right in his neck, if it was a real battle, Felix would have lost his head without even landing a single hit.  
"Class is dismissed" Byleth said with a smile.  
The crowd applauded and cheered for the four combatants while Felix couldn't even move a muscle on how shocked he was. He was snapped out of the speed when Byleth placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"It's the first time a see anybody move that fast" he said with a smile "Just a little more practice and you'll be unstoppable"  
Felix slapped his hand away "I don't need your stupid advise"  
Byleth simply shrugged "Whatever you say"  
"I see you're getting along with the students..." said Seteth who was now I'm front of the crowd "Professor Byleth"  
A big gasp came in unison while everybody turned to look at the mercenary that just smiled nervously "It was just a friendly sparring match."  
Seteth's template didn't change from his stoic manner "Sparring matches must to be scheduled in advance, the training of our student most not being interrupted for a meaningless competition like this." He turned to the crowd "Now, all of you, return to your classes at once"  
And as fast as the courtyard filled with people, it emptied at the same speed, nobody wanting to summon the wrath of the Arbishop's advisor.  
In the end only Felix, Annette, Dimitri and Dedue stayed.  
"So he wasn't an aspiring student after all" Dimitri said with his hand on his chin.  
"But he didn't look like a teacher either" Dedue interjected "Frankly, I thought it was some kind of inspector or a traveler"  
Anette made a curious face "Do you think he will be our new professor, Hanneman said there will be some rearrangements in schedule and administration."  
Felix turned and picked up his training sword "I don't care if he is going to be the janitor. Next time we fight, I will beat him."  
Dimitri picked his spear "I'm afraid you have a long way to go before that"

V

The soft white light of the moon managed to cast an azure shadow all over Garrett Mach, the silence had already taken over the hallways and student and staff were rather sleeping or passing the last hours of the day in their rooms.  
Edelgard sat on a barrel, Hubert of course was standing behind her like a looming shadow, most people often confused him as a vampire due to his white skin and the bags under his eyes, Bernadetta was particularly scared of him.  
They both just sat there looking at Byleth who was sitting at the edge of the dock with a fishing rod casted in the water.  
"He is quite the strange person, is he not?" Hubert said with his deep voice.  
"I will admit it was a surprise to find out he will be our new professor. And his skill is nothing short but spectacular."  
"I don't trust him"  
Edelgard let out a small laugh "You never trust anyone, Hubert."  
"And that's what makes me such and efficient assistant. You should practice that kind of distrust once in a while"  
"I know exactly who to trust, my friend. And although this Byleth person it's a strange one, I'm sure he can be a fine help for our purposes, we'll have to put him to test, though"  
"Should I arrange everything, my lady?"  
Edelgard simply nodded and the man went posthaste to put her plans into motion.  
Byleth couldn't heard them from where he sat and Edelgard just observe him for a few minutes, he was so concentrated in his task that at one moment she thought had fallen asleep.  
Then suddenly he stood up screaming. "Aja!! I got one!"  
The fishing rail traveled around the water an a tremendous speed and Byleth was clearly struggling to hold his ground.  
"Edelgard, I can use a little help here!"  
She was dumbstruck for a second but she quickly ran to his side and grabbed the fishing rod. Her Chrest gave her superior strength even with her slender and small figure and with their combine efforts, they managed to get out a huge fish. The animal landed on the dock and before any of them could catch him it went back to the water.  
"Nooooooo!!!" Byleth squealed falling to his knees as if someone had just killed his pet dog. Then he just sat on the floor with an annoyed expression.  
Edelgard sat beside him "Are you alright? You looked quite distraught"  
"I wanted to eat some good fish before going to bed"  
"I don't think you could had done it either way, the kitchen closes after dinner. Are you used to hunt your own food all the time?"  
"Of course, my father tough me everything about survival, but that doesn't mean I love camping. Nothing can compare to a soft bed."  
"So, have you decided if you want to stay yet. I hope there's more reason than just a bed."  
He let out a laugh "To be honest, I was skeptical at the beginning. I have never had that kind of responsibility, to be some kind of role model. I mean, I'm not even that much older than all of you."  
"Well, as far as I know, being a teacher is not just about wisdom or age. It's a combination of various things like responsibility, patience and also humbleness"  
"Humbleness huh?" Byleth sractched the back of his head "So I guess that sparring session wasn't something a teacher should do"  
Edelgard nodded like she was scolding him "You still need to work on that, if we are to be your students, you must not show how you're better but instead how we can do better."  
"You'll do fine teacher, Edelgard. Haven't you thought on joining the monastery after you graduate"  
She smiled. If only you knew.  
"I'm afraid my duties as next Emperor would be quite the obstacle." She stood up brushing the dust off her skirt "But if you do decide to stay, we will make sure that all of us make you feel welcome. Good night, Profesor Byleth"  
And with that she went to her dorm thinking on what a shame would be to encounter Byleth in the battlefield.  
Edelgard went to bed praying that the young mercenary decided not to join the Monastery and the Church, even though a part of her still desired to get to know him better.

VI

After Byleth choose to stay and decided on one house to teach. He took some books from the library to help him in his lecture, his first class as an official teacher. Just two days ago he was thinking on the next battle, and now he was thinking about time management and seminaries.  
He stood up from his chair and went out of the main building, he walked all the way to the classroom were his students were already waiting.  
With decision he walked towards the board and wrote his name, then he turned to his students.  
"My name is Byleth Eisner, and I'll be the new teacher of this class. Pleasure to meet you, Black Eagle House"


	2. A Clear Sky and a Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double posting to celebrate my first work here.  
> Please enjoy.

I

It was the same darkness she was used to, it was still scary but a at this point she was numbed to it. The cold floor and the rats were an usual company even though she still found them disgusting.  
But the smell, that fault smell of humidity, blood, feces and death bodies were a constant reminder of the hell she was in.  
"Hey, you have to wake up" she cried. Her eyes already dry up of crying and her throat hurted because of he screaming. "Please, wake up" she shook the body in front of her, it had been death for a few minutes but she hoped that if she call to him long enough he will wake up.  
Suddenly a door opened letting a blinding light in, normally going out of that darkness would be an absolute bliss. But this wasn't the case.  
"No!" She screamed "I beg you, don't do it!"  
But it didn't matter, a skinny man dressed in a dark coat and a bird mask approached and grabbed her arm with such form she could swear he was about to snap her bones.  
The man dragged her out of the cell, she was already crying when they strapped her into a big wooden table and started ripping and curing flesh. She couldn't stop screaming from the pain and the horror.  
Edelgard snapped out of slumber screaming. It took a few seconds to gather her thoughts and process everything around her. She wasn't in the dungeon, she was in her room at Garrett March Monastery, her bed wasn't soak in blood but it had a dark shadow of sweat on it.  
The young lord stood up front he bed feeling her soaked pijama. She striped from it trying to not look at herself in the mirror, she hasn't look at herself naked in the mirror for years.   
She dressed herself in her loungewear and taking a towel she came out of her room.  
It was still two hours before down, half an hour before Hubert.  
She made her way to the baths, thankfully there was no one around so Edelgard could wash herself up without any weird glances from her fellow classmates.  
But of course that was to be expected, with all her scars and stitches of course women were bound to watch her.  
After a quick bath and a washing her hair she went back to the dorm, Hubert was already waiting for her by her door.  
"Good morning Lady Edelgard. I took the liberty to prepare some clean clothes for you in your room"  
"Thank you Hubert, you can go to the classroom I'll be there in a few minutes"  
Her retainer obeyed and left her alone.  
After dressing up and putting up her favorite violet ribbon she was Princess Edelgard again, the always secure, always confident future Emperor.  
It was the day of their first mock battle between the three houses and Professor Byleth wanted to make a strategy meeting beforehand.  
When she arrived to the classroom the rest of the students were already there. Ferdinand and Hubert were discussing which of them would accompany Edelgard and Byleth in the vanguard. Bernadetta was crying on the floor since the professor had put her as last line of defense.  
"Hello Eddy" came Dorothea's beautiful voice "You looked terrific today, a new eye shadow maybe"  
Edelgard smiled at the comment, the songstress was really good a picking up those little details "It is, although I tried to not use so much"  
"Still, it looks wonderful, you can almost compete with Ferdie here. How much makeup did you use this again?" She asked Ferdinand giggling.  
"Jokes on you my dear Dorothea" He said brushing his hair "Because I didn't use makeup today, you were captivated by my natural charm"  
Linhart tilt his head a little observing Ferdinand "Well I think your 'natural charm' is a little too red in one side of the lips"  
"Is that truer?" Said Petra "I was thinking he had been hitting by a bad infection or something"  
Caspar's laughter filled the room with his powerful voice.  
Hubert cleared his throat "If my dear companions are done with their nonesenses, I believe the professor wants to say something to us."  
The turned towards Byleth who was wearing his academy uniform, with hat and everything. He was drawing in a little map of the hill were the battle would take place. He raised his head when he noticed everyone looking at him "Oh, sorry, did you say something, Hubert?"  
Edelgard had to hold in a laugh while Hubert let out a sight "I hope, you don't plan on spacing like that during the battle"  
Byleth took the map and put it on top of the table "I'm sorry for you, Caspar and Ferdinand. But you will not be fighting today." Both students directed him a disappointing look "The issue here is that we can't think as we are facing a single army, this a battle on two fronts which makes managing the force of the offensive a little tricky"  
"Is not that complicated" said Caspar pointing at the north-west base. "We know that the Blue Lions are specially proficient in strength and defense, so I think it would be better to attack them first, with you, Edelgard and me on the vanguard."   
"And what about Linhart and Bernadetta?" Byleth said. "If we perform such a strong offensive we will be letting both of them behind. They will be the perfect target for the Golden Deer"  
Edelgard nodded holding her chin "I see, we could also remove Bernadetta at least Bernadetta from this battle for additional magical or physical support."  
"Yes yes, I second that option!" The purple haired archer screamed with a smile. But Byleth shook his head.  
"No can do"  
"Aaaaawwwww"  
"We need someone to protect Linhart while giving some distant support to the vanguard, and archer is the perfect role for this one"  
"Then what it is your advise on this case, Professor?" Asked Petra.  
Byleth curled his lips in a small smile, very rare in him but a good signal. He took the pencil and drew and arch right in the middle of the battlefield. "We will face both houses at the same time by extending a perimeter. We will face the Golden Deer house with Hubert on the East. They are not that good fighters and most of them don't know how to deal with magic" he looked at the somber dark haired man "and you are fast enough to dodge some of their arrows. While on the other side Edelgard and me will face the Blue Lions full force, if they use and archer Bernadetta will take care of him. Linhart will have to run a little more distant to keep up with the healing on both sides but he will be safer as anyone can be on the back"  
"Well I don't like the idea of running but if I don't have to use the sword is all better for me" Linhart said shrugging.  
"Then it is decided" Edelgard said "This is our first test as a complete group, let's show our new teachers what the Black Eagles are made of"  
Yes!" Everyone said in unison and after touching on the details they left the classroom on to the hill were the battle would take place.  
In the dressing room Byleth and Edelgard were the last ones to put on their armors. The professor always dressed in dark colors and flexible clothes like he was always ready for a fight to develop.  
Edelgard snapped out of her train of thought when she realized she was looking at him for a couple of minutes now. Not at the same time he couldn't hold back a question she wanted to ask. But before she could even have the chance to say anything the trumpets played the usual time announcing the beginning of the battle.  
They went out in a hurry and ran towards their posts.  
In that moment he finally looked at her and gave her a thumb up. "Good luck, okay?"  
Edelgard smile while taking her axe "Same to you"  
Captain. Jeralt appeared on top of the valley surrounding the hill "Begin!" 

II

"Just my luck" Annette sighted feeling like the stupidest person on the planet. She was walking around the Monastery with a book in hand and biting off a piece of the muffin in her other hand.  
Annette was known to be one of the most hard worker student next to Lysithea, for better or for worse. She had asked borrowed some books from the library for a research in crestology Professor Hanneman had assigned them. It wasn't due till next month but she wanted to finished as soon as possible.  
So she spent the whole night reading and writing, a big pack of candles at her side, by the time she finished it was already dawn outside, the day of the mock battle.  
She wasn't one the fighters but her best friend Mercedes would so she had to go to cheer on her friend and classmates. But just after having the strategy meeting she decided to have a nap.  
And like a complete dofus, she overslept and miss the wagon that took the audience to the place of the battle.  
"Oh Mercies is gonna be so disappointed. I'm such an idiot!"  
She hurried the rest of the muffin and walked towards the knights hall. He decided to read a book since she couldn't find anything better to do. The green house was closed for maintenance and the kitchen staff had prohibited her to get near the kitchen after the last incident. He was just boiling some eggs and she managed to make them explode in a raging inferno that took down a whole wall. She clearly wasn't born to cook.  
When she arrived to the Knights hall she catches the sound of a wooden sword hitting something, and sure enough she found Felix training of course.  
"What are you doing here?" She asked. "Did you missed the wagon too?"  
"No, I just don't have interest in a mock battle" he said without taking his eyes of the training dummy.  
"What! But you have to be there, who is gonna root for our class?"  
"A better question would be. What does rooting have to do with winning a battle?"  
"It makes them feel confident"  
He finally turned to see her with his Amber eyes "Would someone root for you during a battle? A real battle I mean."  
"Well...no, not really" she said admitting defeat.  
"And that's it, in a battle the only thing that matters is strength, if someone is there screaming and clapping it would only distract you or get himself killed"  
Annette let out a sight and made her way to the sofa "You always have some come back, do you?"  
I'm just realistic" Felix when back to his training while Annette sat comfortably.   
She opened the book, it was the story about a knight fighting a war against another country, but de fell in love with a major noble woman from that country. They married in secret and had a child, but when the war escalated he had to decide to fight in the final battle or run away with his family.   
The story reminded Annette too much of her own story. She could still remember how her father read those books to her on a comfy night in front of the fireplace, her mother singing a soft tune. In the end little Annette never managed to stay awake for the ending but either way those were the moments she enjoyed the most.  
She found herself humming that same time from all those years ago and returning to reality she remembered Felix was right there. Actually, he was now walking towards her.  
Oh no, did he heard me? Did I screwed up?  
But the young man didn't say anything, he just sat on the other couch to her right. "Did you finish?" She asked.  
"Yeah, for the evening at least"  
"You're going to train again at night?"  
"Of course. How do you think I'm gonna be better than Professor Byleth if I don't train?"  
"I just think you shouldn't strain so much."  
"And you shouldn't be up so late studying" Annette felt her cheeks turned red "How do you know that?"  
He shrugged and Annette could swear she saw his mouth curling in to smile for a fraction of a second "I was coming back from my last training session and I saw the candlelight from your door"  
"What! You were spying on me?"  
"I did not do such a thing. I was just passing by and I saw it. It wasn't really difficult to see in the dark. But seriously, you shouldn't be up so late, it's going to mess your sleeping schedule"  
She crossed her arms and turned her head to the other side "Pff, you sound like my old teacher. And you should take your own advice too. Besides, if our want to get better you should spar with real people, not some dummy"  
"I know that, that's why I practice with Sylvain and the others"  
"No, I mean somebody who can actually beat you." She put the book down "Felix, you are the best and fastest swordsman I ever seen. You don't have competition in in the Blue Lions" Felix looked at her with wide eyes and Annette realized what she just said, her cheeks turned even more red if that was possible "I...I mean, out should get somebody else to spar, somebody stronger, like Professor Byleth"  
"What?"  
"He has way more experience than any of us and his skills with the sword are different from anyone here, plus he defeated you, I think if someone can teach you to fight better is him"  
Felix crossed his arms "Well, it's not as if I haven't think about it. I don't like him that much but I'm only interested in his skill"  
"That's the spirit, I guess" she said turning her attention to her book "You should ask him when he gets back"  
"I will, thanks for the advise" Felix stood up but he stopped walking for a second "That's a good book you got there, although I don't enjoy the ending that much"  
"You read about knights?" She asked in surprise, but Felix's expression turned somber.  
"I use to read those, but not anymore"  
Felix walked out of the knights hall before she can ask for more details. Annette couldn't shake the feeling that Felix was a little more than just a grumpy warrior, he was just really determined, just like her.  
I hope we can both achieve our goals, Felix.  
She went back to reading and it didn't take long for her to start humming again.

III

The battle started up really good, with Hubert taking down Lorentz and Bernadetta landing a nice shot on Ashe through the woods. The Black Eagles took both houses by surprise, they didn't expect them to fight from both sides from the beginning, now the Golden Deers and the Blue Lions were down by one man, Byleth had to take this opportunity to get a swift victory.  
Hubert went to eliminate Ignatz on the northern side.  
"Do not run too far" Byleth commanded "The longer we hold the perimeter the better"  
Easier said than done, Dimitri and Dedue were already charging towards him. Edelgard jumped and blocked on of the Dedue's giant fists, it was amazing that such a small woman could withstand such a powerful blow.  
But Byleth didn't have too much time to admire the princess's skill when Dimitri struck with his spear. He wasn't nearly as fast as Felix but he was strong as hell.  
Byleth deflected the attack trying to keep his distance.  
"I see we are facing each other in the early game Professor" Dimitri said with a smile "I was eager to experience your skill first hand"  
Byleth looked at Edelgard who barely holding Dedue's blows at bait, and with an axe in hand it was taking a toll on the girl's stamina.  
Byleth blocked a dangerous swing of Dimitri's spear and repositioned his feets. "Sorry Dimitri, but you'll have to wait a little more" he then jumped to were Edelgard and Dedue were fighting "Edelgard, switch!"  
The girl's response was almost automatic, she made the same jump as Byleth but Dedue wouldn't let her. "Oh no, you don't"   
The big man's arm went down like a hammer but Byleth managed to intercept the blow before it landed on Edelgard. The professor's knees almost crumbled with all the force of the impact, he could even feel the steel of his sword vibrate.  
Dedue tried to land a second blow but Byleth dodged it, he was slower than Dimitri but his attacks were stronger. Luckily Byleth only had to dodge a few punches while recovering from the pain in his arms. He was about to initiate the counter attack when he saw something fly through the air.  
Byleth rolled around the floor barely avoiding the arrow.  
What the hell?!  
Ashe was already out of the battle and Hanneman was way to far in the base, so who. And then he noticed, an ashen yellow blur was hiding in the woods ahead, and then another arrow came.  
He dodged and quickly though in a new strategy "Linhart, I need some help"   
The green hair boy finished restoring Bernadetta's stamina and ran towards Byleth. "Looks like you're in a pickle, professor"  
"You think?" Byleth blocked another fist but he couldn't do it we the second one that landed in his stomach and sent him flying a few meters back.  
He stood up as fast as he could and Dedue was already charging towards him again "Linhart, now!"  
The mage shot a fireball and Dedue practically ate the whole thing but he had to close his eye because of the flash of light. Byleth used this opportunity and jumped through the fire, with just a few steps he closed the distance and swung his sword hitting the big man's neck.  
Dedue let out a sighted with a smile "Well, I guess you bested me this time"  
"If you were holding back I don't want to know when you're fighting for real, my friend"  
Dedue placed a hand on his shoulder and retired from the battlefield.  
Byleth advanced toward the Golden Deer area and found Hubert retiring from the battlefield. "I got carried away and went too far" he sounded more annoyed than regretful.  
"Hey, come on Hubert, death people can't talk" came the voice of Hilda, the pink haired axe user. Behind her Cloude was on one knee preparing one of his arrows.  
"Hello there teach" he said with a smirk "Guess you are not going any further."  
"So you made a defense by putting Hilda as a Vanguard and you as a support leaping her opponents at bait. Very clever"  
"Yup, I am pretty smart" he aimed the bow towards him "Aaannd it's over"  
The same moment Claude let the arrow go, another one came from the south and hit Hilda right in her chest while Byleth dodged Clause's arrow.  
He ran as fast as he could, Claude let go another arrow, way faster than before and hit Byleth right in the leg, but it was too late since he managed to topple his opponent's feets.  
Claude fell on the ground and Byleth point the sword at him.  
"You are not the only schemer" he said directing his sight to Bernadetta who was running with shy movements.  
"I did it, Professor. And Mercedes didn't look angry at all"  
"Of course not, Bernadetta. She is the nicest person on the planet. Good job."   
The little archer finally gave him a true smile "Thank you"  
Claude let out a big laugh "You made Bernadetta take down Mercedes and then she came to help you defeat Hilda and I"  
"Yes, Huber and I were just the distraction. I knew the only way you'll not notice her going through the woods was if I was at the front lines keeping you occupied. I expected to be out of combat before she arrive but she was quicker than I anticipated."  
Hilda helped Claude stand up "You have faith in your students, that's a very good signal. Well, I guess we lost this round since the only one left is Manuela. But we will win next time"  
"I'm sure you'll try"  
It didn't take long to take the Golden Deer base, Byleth let Bernadetta and Linhart take care of Manuela and he ran towards the sounds of metal clashing.

IV

Both Edelgard and Dimitri were panting, the sweat had long ruined the blonde man's haircut.   
"You have an outstanding amount of stamina, Edelgard. I haven't had this much fun in a combat since I started training"  
"And your strength is almost out of this world even I'm having a hard time keeping up with each blow"  
The prince took a new stance keeping the spear close to him "It's a blessing and also a curse. I will use this strength to protect my friends and my people"  
Edelgard couldn't help but smile feeling her heart beat a little faster. He has matured so much.  
"Then show me a little more of that strength, my axe will give the verdict"  
Dimitri let out a roar charging forward, the tip of the spear came dangerously close to Edelgard's stomach but she dodged in time to raised her axe and strike. Dimitri saw this coming and with an amazing show of speed and skill, he turned the spear around and deflected the axe.  
Dimitri spinned on one leg and thrust the spear, he was very close and it was almost impossible he missed. But Edelgard made a dangerous move by dropping her axe to be lighter.   
She almost felt the wood of the spear touching her side, she trapped the spear between her arm and body and using all her strength she broke the weapon.  
Dimitri was so stunned by this turn of events that he couldn't see Edelgard thrusting the broken speed in to his chest, the blow made the prince fall but unharmed.  
"Victory is my Dimitri" she said regaining her breath that she didn't notice she was holding in.  
"And what an splendid combat that was"  
"Splendid battle" Hanneman corrected, he was being escorted by Byleth.  
"Professor Hanneman? Did the capture the base"  
"I'm afraid so, young Dimitri"  
The trumpets sounded again drawing everyone's attention to the clift on top of the hill "The battle is over. And the winner is the Black Eagle Hose" Jeralt announced.  
The students and some knight applauded and cheered to the winners, Caspar and the rest of the class didn't take long to reach them. The cheerful young man took Bernadetta and raised her over his shoulders.   
"What, Caspar! What are you doing?! Put me down!" Bernadetta screamed.  
"You were our MVP Bernadetta" Byleth said "Without you and Linhart we wouldn't have been able to win, so enjoy the attention"  
"But I don't like the attention! Caspar, put me down this instant!"  
But he pay no heed to her screaming and took her to were the other students were making a round of horrays to her name.  
Edelgard stood beside the professor and gave him a warm smile "So, are we allowed to indulge in some celebration?"  
They arrived to the monastery really fast , Annette was the first one to receive them and she didn't hide much of her disappointment when he heard of the Blue Lions' defeat. She quickly cheered up when Mercedes told her they were also invited to the celebration.  
They had a grand feast with all the houses, everyone was so cheerful that even Dorothea indulge them with a few songs. Truly she had the voice of a mermaid from those old fairy tales.  
Edelgard wasn't so hungry so she went outside of the dining hall when nobody was looking at her. The silence of the night was comfortable and the moonlight gave the whole monastery a magical feel, the smell of the sweet air still hold the aromas of the Spring season.  
She sat on the edge of the stone ladder and stood stood there for a few minutes until she heard a footsteps behind her.  
"Do you mind if we join you?" Dimitri said, Claude was walking beside him.  
"No at all"   
Both men took a seat beside her and took in the scenery "Well, I guess you got a lucky strike with that new professor, princess" Claude said.  
"It was quite the surprise seeing him in battle in more detail, and I have to admit he is gifted in arts of strategy"  
"Although he is really careful showing much of his emotions" Dimitri interjected.  
"I don't really think he does it on purpose. It's like he just can't express himself"  
"I guess it is a good quality in the battlefield. No doubt he is such a skillful mercenary. In that regard he does remind me of Jeralt"  
Claude crossed his arms as if he was thinking on another of his schemes "I still want to know what picked Lady Rhea's interest in him. He was recruited so fast, like she already knew him"  
"But he says he hasn't had any contact with the church before coming to the monastery" Edelgard said.  
"Well, I guess one of them is not really saying the truth"  
Edelgard directed an angry look to Claude "I don't intend to listen to this arguments, you might want to undermine my trust in the Professor"  
Claude let out a laugh "I'm sorry, princess. It was just my crazy mind making silly conjectures. I'll make sure to keep them to myself next time"  
Edelgard didn't really care of what Claude thought about the professor or the Church, but he was smart and curious. She would have to keep a fair distance with him.  
The rest of the evening the three of them spent talking about their homelands and their classes. The students started going coming out of the dinning hall, some of them chatting and laughing. Sylvain always with a girl next to him, Annette talking cheerfully with Mercedes, Ferdinand and Lorenz appeared to be discussing some matters about tea and class.  
To Edelgard's surprise the last one to come out of the dinning hall was Byleth.  
"Took you long enough, teach" Claude said. "Can't move with all that food?"  
"I was just talking with Lysithea. She asked me to join our class starting next week"  
"Oh, really?" Edelgard said wide eyes.  
Claude nodded "She did have an interest in strategy. And you are the best on that field after what we saw today"   
"I'm just doing what my father tough me, but I accepted her request, a new mage will do wonders for our battle plans."  
Byleth walked a little bit to the edge of the stairs, his eyes were shining like blue gems against the moonlight and Edelgard was snapped back into existence when Dimitri spoke.  
"Hey, do you people know that man?" He asked suddenly.  
The other three looked down the stairs and sure enough, there was a strange looking person walking towards the dorms and went around the green house.  
"What a strange individual" Edelgard said.  
"More like suspicious. Come on let's see what he is up to."


	3. Return of the Wolfpack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again guys, here with another chapter and I wanted to say thanks to all the people that had read the first chapters and for your comments.   
> I wanted to say something right here since we are touching the DLC plot in here, if you had played Cindered Shadows you know that the time this DLC happens is not specify, it might even been in another timelines altogether. So I made a I few changes to fit in on the main story.  
> But enough with this crazy long author's note, please enjoy the chapter.

**Chapter 3**

**Return of the Wolfpack**

**I**

The days after the mock battle were boring and unfruitful to say the least, and Felix felt it in his training. Dimitri and Sylvain weren't good rivals anymore, he was way faster than them, he needed a new training partner. But alas Byleth had been missing since the day of the mock battle, along with the three house leaders and a few other students.

Lady Rhea personally informed them that the green haired teacher was on a special assignment with the students. It was unusual but not unprecedented.

So without his teacher, the Black Eagles had to receive tutoring from Seteth and Felix had to wait until Byleth come back to ask him to join his class. Every single second he didn't train was a second waisted and he couldn't stand it.

Felix walked out of the classroom after one of Hanneman's eternal lectures about crests. Sylvain followed him as always.

"Hey Felix, aren't you gonna train today?" His friend asked.

"Not really, I'm not in the mood"

Sylvain stopped for a moment and Felix turned to see his friend making a stunned face. "Hey, are you okay? Did you come down with the dark plague or what?" He placed a hand on Felix's forehead, he quickly shook it off.

"Stop that. What's gotten into you?"

"Me?! You're the greatest training maniac in all Garrett March and suddenly you don't want to train? Sorry if I'm a little shocked"

"I have gardening duty, since we don't have any lectures tomorrow might as well do it right now, that way I'll have more time to train tomorrow"

"I...guess that makes sense"

"Good, now if you finished talking nonsense already, I have work to do"

He adjusted the books he was caring under his arm and walked away oblivious to the conversation Ingrid and Sylvain started.

"What the hell happened to him" Ingrid asked.

Sylvain scratched the back of his head "I don't know, he seems mellow or something. Maybe it's a girl?"

Ingrid let out a small laugh "Yes Sylvain, because Felix is known to be a skirt chaser like you"

"Aaww come on, I'm not that bad"

"Say that to my grandma"

"Stop saying that in public!"

Meanwhile, Felix was walking next to the pond, luckily the monastery felt a little more quiet with less knights in armor going around, he actually liked it this way, it reminded him to his home in Fraldarius, way back when he was a kid.

The snowy courtyard of the castle was the perfect playground and training grounds, he would be practicing his sloppy swordsmanship against Dimitri, Sylvain or Glenn even though his big brother would always outmatched him. Ingrid would sit on the bench waiting for her turn to train with Glenn, always with a dreamy look in her face and laugh like an idiot every time he commended her skills.

Felix let out a sight.  _ Those were indeed good times. Too bad nothing stays the same forever, eventually we all grow up to stand on our own feet in this cruel world. _

It's not like he was being negative, it was just like the world was.

The world, dark, unfair and hostile.

But then he stopped in his tracks when he heard something, he was going to drop his books in his room but he heard something right when he walked in front of the greenhouse.

Was that...music? No, it was actually someone singing.

He walked inside the greenhouse and knocked on the door "Hello, is someone he-"

But he was stunned by the bizarre image in front of him.

It was Annette and she was singing while dancing sprayer in hand and everything, well, she was doing something similar to that.

_ "Today's dinner is steak and then a cake that's yummy yum…" _ she sang with a big smile, her feets twirling to the rhythm , quick and flashy in a certain way, but just suthle enough to be elegant. There was some technique involved.

_ "Now it's time to fill my tummy tummy tum…" _

He approached with a eyebrow raised.

_ "Oh, this mountain of sweets, and treats that I long to eats...Oh, stacks of steaks and cakes and crumbs and yum…" _

He stopped right at the moment she spinned around and faced him, her face immediately turning red with her mouth wide open.

"I hope I'm not interrupting" he said.

Her big eyes somehow looked bigger "Felix! You weren't listening, were you?"

"I heard enough to know that you're hungry"

She brought her small hands on to her skirt and lower her face to hide the redness "No! I mean...Well, yes. At least tell me you didn't see the dance"

Maybe a compliment would calm her "You have nice footwork" he said nonchalantly. "Get something to eat. I can take over watering the plants"

For a moment she just stared at him with a weird look, and just like the warrior he was he didn't look away. But then…

"YOU'RE EVIL, FELIX!" She exploded throwing the water spray to the side splashing the liquid.

"And you're shouting"

"You can't just spy on people while they're singing without even saying anything! That's not right!"

"I actually _ did  _ call out that I was coming in. It's not my fault you didn't hear." He said crossing his arms. What was she even mad about? She just praised her dancing or whatever that was, didn't he?

"Well… You need to speak louder, then! Ugh, his is so embarrassing…" she turned her gaze away "And of course I was singing some silly food song I made up. I should have been singing about...bears! Or swamp beasties!"

"I didn't realize there were songs about bears and swamp beasties" although this really quarrel was turning a little amusing "That food song seemed to be close to your heart. Your stomach isn't far from your heart, after all"

"Oh, you are the worst"

Felix was about to pick up the water spray but then something weird happened, he felt the ground shake making both of them struggle for balance. It was short, but then came another little earthquake.

"What the hell?" He said.

"What's going on?"

He heard the sound of glass shaking and raised his head to see that the glass panels of the greenhouse were shaking. One of them, a big one suddenly fell off right on top of where Annette was standing.

Felix moved at almost lightning speed and without thinking she tackled her on to the ground while putting one hand around her waist and in the back of her head.

He heard the glass panel crash and break, a few more fell a little further but he didn't feel any impact on his back.

"Shit! Annette, are you okay?" He said separating from her a little, she had her eyes wide open and fixed on him "Hey, what's wrong? Are you on shock of something"

"Oh, umm no, I'm okay"

He stood up and grabbed her by the hand to help her "Come on, we have to get out of here, this place is a killing chamber"

He ran outside while the ground was still shaking. When he stopped he tried to guess the dreadful phenomenon's origin.

"Its coming from the North, an attack maybe?"

"I don't know" she said with a serious tone "But I can feel a high concentration of magic on That direction"

"You can feel that?"

"Not in normal circumstances. This source of magic is so massive that I bet any mage in the Monastery should feel it"

"If is that big, then that means it might be dangerous" he adjusted his sword in his belt feeling his adrenaline rising. "We have to see what's going out"

To her surprise, Annette didn't hesitate "Yes. Let's go"

**II**

A thunderous laugh echoed through the cathedral even throughout the sounds of battle.

"You are facing the wrath of Constance Von Nuvelle, you fool. I'm gonna freeze you where you stand" the girl in the black pegasus said casting powerful freezing spells.

The target, a horrifying monster with filthy black hair covered in pulsing veins connected to it's broken wings. The head was a like a skeleton.

Edelgard had seen the effects of corruption the mishandling of relics could do, but this was on a whole different level. That man, Aelfric, he had unleash the true wrath of the Goddess, and although Edelgard wanted to be up to the challenge, she couldn't denied she was afraid.

But it didn't matter, if she was going to bring down the foundations of this society, she wouldn't be stop, not by the Goddess, not by anyone.

She slashed one of Aelfric's clones in half, attacking first was important when facing a magic caster, they were weak but lethal if you gave them a chance to strike.

Ashe provided cover fire while Linhart provided support to Edelgard and Dimitri as a vanguard, a fine idea from Professor Byleth's mind.

The monster was about to attack Dimitri but it's giant claw was deflected when Balthus threw a powerful punch at it.

"Come on little prince, you are slacking off" he said with a smirk.

"Way to go Balthy! Now is my turn" Hilda was riding in the back of Hapi's horse and in one single move she jumped to make a deep cut on the monster's back leg.

Byleth defeated two more clones and raised his sword. "Balthus and Dimitri, keep him in the same place. Hilda and Hapi keep attacking his legs, if you see him releasing a blast retreat immediately. Edelgard and Yuri with me."

"Understood" she said. Yuri, the young leader of the Ashen Wolfs appeared next to her.

"Well, it seems that your adorable teacher is already use to give orders" Yuri said with his permanent smirk that looked friendly in equal amount as he looked threatening, like a much darker version of Claude's face.

"In the field he is our Commander, so if you can follow orders as good as you had done so far, there shouldn't be any trouble" Edelgard looked at him with narrowed eyes "And if you try to pull that treacherous move again, you'll feel my blade before you have the time to draw your sword"

"I see you haven't forgive me from before"

"I don't have anything against you, just don't make any bad moves"

She didn't wanted to continue the conversation and thankfully Byleth jumped through the rubble and stones towards the beast. Edelgard and Yuri followed him as close as the could.

"Claude and Ashe, give us some cover" Byleth said and both archers shot down two more clones.

The monster finally noticed the three approaching enemies and prepared to shoot a blast of dark energy, the teacher then stopped and put a hand in Edelgard's shoulder to make her stop too "Yuri go around and attack from the side, you know what to do."

"Aye aye" the young man dodge the blast in the right moment. Byleth didn't move out of the way protecting Edelgard.

"Professor what are you-" she started to asked but he just stood there in defense position and received the full impact of the blast, but Byleth kept his position. She would have died if she was the one receiving the attack.

Byleth's clothes were steaming black smoke but the damage didn't look serious. "Stay sharp, Edelgard. Is your turn." he said not turning to her. 

"Yes" Edelgard ran on the same direction that Yuri, the monster couldn't move for a few seconds due to the powerful attack it just made. So this was the opportunity to attack together.

Hapi shot dark magic to clear the path of clones, next thing Hilda attacked the other leg while on the other side Balthus punched the creature in the face. They just had a few days fighting and they were already in perfect coordination, adaptability that was the key to winning a battle.

The princess finally reached the spot where her classmates were, it was time for the final attack. 

The beast was still dizzy and Dimitri attacked with his spear using the whole speed of his horse, Claude shot and arrow in the monster's eye so it couldn't see Constance launch a few spells. 

Edelgard jumped and landed her axe on to the creature's neck, then Yuri appeared next to her landing two slashes on the side of the head. But it was still alive and just when Edelgard was about to strike again, she felt it.

The reminder of all those years of pain and sorrow eternally carved in her soul. A great surge of power came from her crest of flames and with one single strike of her axe she decapitated the beast. 

The body of the creature just managed to move a few seconds before finally giving up and falling making the ground shake for the last time.

Edelgard let go of her shield feeling that her armor had become three times heavier, her chest hurted a little.

"Ey, are you okay?" Byleth said kneeling beside her "That was amazing, I didn't know you have that kind of strength" he looked at the remnants of the monster that was already starting to dissolve into dark particles "I think you can even give Dimitri a run for his money"

After a few short breaths she manage to stand again and keep her balance "Is it over then?"

"It looks that way" Yuri said "Aelfric is no more and the Chalice is out of our blood"

Ashe nodded "And save for the damage to the cathedral nobody got badly injured"

The doors to the cathedral opened with Alois and Rhea followed by the knights.

"Thank the Goddess you are all unharmed" the Archbishop said.

Byleth approached and explained what had develop before and during the battle, all the time Rhea listened without saying a word, Edelgard had to admit how the woman could hold such composure even when some of the dirty secrets of the church had been revealed. A powerful relic with power to cause such destruction, the Immortal body of a young woman deep within the Abyss, not to mention the Shadow library which Edelgard couldn't wait to get her hands on. 

Eventually Rhea guided Byleth to the altar where his mother's body was, Edelgard decided to go out or the cathedral wanting to get some fresh air and take off her amor, the other students followed her.

Outside the cathedral there were some students gathered no doubt wanted to know what all the fuss was about, Hubert aproached quickly.

"Lady Edelgard, are you well? You look pale." He said giving her a handkerchief to clean up the sweat off her face.

"Just my Crest acting up, nothing serious."

"What exactly happened in there?"

"I will tell you everything later, for now just gather our classmates for a quick rundown. 

It was already nighttime when Professor Byleth finally came to the classroom accompanied with the Ashen Wolves. 

"So this are the Legendary Abyssians" Ferdinand said with his gaze traveling across the newcomers and stopping when he reached Constance "It is a pleasure to see you again, Lady Nuvelle"

"I see you flowered language and over the top mannerisms haven't changed at all Ferdinand" she answered. Both of them were making this strange gesture with their hands as if it was broken, Yuri did that sometimes but Edelgard wasn't sure if it was out of habit or just wanted to mock his aristocrat friends.

Byleth walked to the front of the class "I'm sure Edelgard had already gave you a small rundown on what we had been doing this past days in the Abyss, so I'll spare the details. But as for today the Ashen Wolves had officially been disbanded, so I asked Lady Rhea if they would be allowed to stay in the monastery as students." He then made a small smile and present the four students "Please give a warm welcome to our four new members of the Black Eagles, I hope you make them feel at home"

Linhart directed a smirk towards the red haired girl named Hapi "So, you couldn't stand being in the darkness much longer? I knew the sun would be too tempting for you"

"Well fighting alongside you guys made the things more interesting that had been in years down there" she said stretching her arms "Still, a school life will be a drag, I hope we get to see more action"

"You bet we will" Caspar yelled cheerfully. "But you know, we have to test your strength before we welcome you, so tomorrow each of you will have to spar with me"

"Is that a rule you just made out?" Petra asked with a raised eyebrow.

Balthus cross his arms laughing as loud as Caspar "Hell, no problem from me small fry. They don't call me the King of Grappling for nothing"

Edelgard noticed Yuri laugh a little beside her "My, what a colorful set of characters we have here, this school year will indeed be interesting" he then looked to the left were Bernadetta was making one of her panicked expressions "Hello there"

She jumped almost like a cat with a yelp "I...I am looking forward to working with you...I-I have to go!"

And off she were running out of the classroom towards the dorms.

"Don't worry Yuri" Edelgard said "She is like that every time she meets someone new."

"Yeah, I guess" he said simply.

After a few minutes of talking to welcome their new classmates, Edelgard and Byleth were the only ones in the classroom, the Professor was just reviewing a few papers and adding new names to his schedule.

"Shouldn't you be in bed already, Edelgard" he said without even raising his sight.

There was something weird in his voice, it sounded cold.

"I wanted to see if you were fine, Professor. With all that happened, I guess you could need someone to talk"

"There's nothing to talk about, everything worked out in the end and Lady Rhea is taking care of the details"

"Yes I see, but I thought all of this could be overwhelming for you, with the issue about your mother and-" but she stopped when Byleth looked at her with cold eyes "I'm sorry, I shouldn't overstep our boundaries"

Byleth sighted and closed his book, he walked towards the door until she was next to her, his gaze rested on the moon "I appreciate your help. But the true is that I don't feel anything. This woman, Sitri, she was my mother, I could feel it, and her hair, her eyes, if I was born a girl I could swear I would look like her twin. But in the end, when I laid my eyes on her, I didn't feel anything for her, I never met her. I'm not sure if that makes me a heartless freak."

"Of course it doesn't" she said "Believe it or not it is indeed hard to communicate feelings through actions, and it's different for every person. Just keep in mind that I...that we are all here for you"

"I'll keep it in mind" he said and he walked away, Edelgard felt that that Byleth just put a giant ice wall between them.

**III**

Mercede's room was embodied in the wonderful smell of cake and cookies along with some apple tea.

"It is such a magnificent sensation to breathe fresh air again, and this sweets are such a treat Mercie" Constance said with a big smile "I missed this so much"

Mercie gave her always warm smile "Then eat as much as you like Constance, this is a little welcome party for you after all"

Annette sipped a little of her tea while sitting next to the desk, Mercedes and Constance were sitting on the bed. She had to admit she was a little jealous of their childhood friendship but Constance looked so happy that Annette couldn't even care, she was a new and great addition to their little group and had such interesting stories to tell.

"I bet you know a lot of incredible spells, right Constance?" Annette asked with interest.

"Indeed I do, but I have to say most of them are pretty...mmm how should I put it? Trivial, maybe?"

"What do you mean?"

"That most of them are not suitable for practical use. But do not fear Annie, I will make a fantastic spell one day, I will invent a whole new way of magic or my name is not Constance Von Nuvelle" 

"You sure are confident" Mercedes said.

Annette nodded "Yeah, I wish I could be like that. Most of my attempts to succeed in anything other than magic ends in utter disaster"

"How could you say that Annie? You have some other amazing talents, like your wonderful voice that could even rival Dorothea's"

It was at that moment Annette remembered what she needed to talk with her friend and her eyes snapped wide open "Oh Goddess, Mercie there's something I need to tell you!" She almost screamed and stood up with such speed that made her chair fall. "It's Felix, he...he heard me singing, he heard me singing and saw me dancing!"

The other two girls looked at her wide-eyed, Mercedes blinked before talking "I see, and what is the problem then?"

"What's the problem?! Don't joke around Mercie. This is a nightmare, catastrophic even, I can't face him again. He will even tell everybody and I'll be the laughing stock of the monastery for the rest of the year!"

"I think you are overthinking things, is Felix even the one to spread secrets like that?"

"I don't really know" he said looking away.

"And why are you so upset?" Constance asked "Don't you have a good voice"

"Yes, but my songs are really weird and stupid I just make them to pass the time they are not meant to be heard by anyone"

"Have you even though that this Felix liked your singing"

"Of course not, why would he?" She said but then remembered something else "Although he did said I have nice footwork" Both Constance and Annette kept looking at her, Annette lowered her gaze twirling her fingers little. "What should I do?"

"Annie, if you're so worried about it, just ask him to keep the secret between you two" Mercie suggested "Felix can be a little sour but he is not unreasonable"

"Yeah, that's right. And I could maybe make something spicy, he likes spicy food right? I good bride will get him to help me."

Constance sipped from her tea "Of course, after all the stomach is the shortest way to a man's heart?"

"You bet!" Annette yelled with cheerfully "I'll go to bed now and tomorrow first thing in the morning I will think on a plan" she ran towards the door "Bye girls, thank you for the advise" And she ran feeling as she could take down the whole world.

Constance stared at the door for a moment "She is quite the oblivious girl, isn't she?"

"Oh she will catch up, eventually"

**IV**

The dark and silent hallways of Garrett March were a welcome environment for the mood he was. Byleth needed to think on all the things Rhea said about his mother.

But he didn't feel any rage at his mother nor his father for keeping all this secrets from him, he just felt an overwhelming feeling of uncertainty. His life was like a puzzle with half the pieces missing and he didn't like that sensation at all, even thought his heart wasn't beating.

_ Maybe I am a heartless freak after all. _

He walked almost without thinking and before he knew he was standing on the training grounds, and a pair of amber eyes looking at him.

"I thought I heard someone" Felix said training sword in hand. "Are you here to rain?"

"I...yes, I guess"

Felix threw the sword at him and Byleth catched it easily "Care to train with me? Waving the sword around alone is boring." He walked to take another sword from the barrel "And frankly, I'm tired of crossing swords with worthless opponents." Felix took a stand, his posture looked a little more sharp that their first sparing session. "But you seem like a worthy adversary"

Byleth took a stand "You think I'm a worthy adversary?"

Felix was the first to attack, he was faster, his feets barely touched the ground with each step as they clashed swords. "I've always been interested in your technique"

He exchange a few blows not giving each other any ground, Felix ran from one side and spinned on one foot sending a powerful slash that made Byleth flinched back.

"You learned from the former Captain of the Knights of Seiros, and traveled Fódlan fighting as mercenary. Good sparring partners like you don't grow on trees."

Byleth decided to go on the offensive running stray ahead and planted his feets firmly on the ground waiving his sword from the side, Felix dodged the attack but the Professor quickly changed direction and slashed downwards. Felix rolled on the floor and quickly stood up on his stand.

"You are in a awfully good mood I see" Byleth said

"Everyone is telling me that as of late, not sure why though" Felix curled his lips into a grin, nothing spectacular but it didn't look bad in his face "But know that I will beat you, and I will surpass your strength"

"What are you so focused on getting stronger?"

"Why? Hm. I never really thought about it" Felix lowered his sword. "I learned how to swing a sword before how to write my own name. But that's the same for all children in my country, and in Fraldarius that philosophy is much stronger than in any place: Grow strong so you may live, and live to grow stronger. That's what I was taught."

Felix took a different stand then, it was the same Byleth was doing with his sword on top of his shoulder.

And something hit Byleth, he then saw himself again as a young boy with long hair strapped on a little tail, and he was actually facing this little image of himself like if he was Jeralt in one of their countless training sessions.

"You remind me of me, but I have to ask. Don't you have other aspirations?"

"What else should I aim for? Strength is the only thing that matters"

Little Byleth attacked but big Byleth easily blocked the blow and with his other hand grabbed his opponent by the shirt and using a martial arts move he threw him over his back and slammed him on to the ground.

Little Byleth transformed back into Felix who let out a small laugh "Yeah, I think you are the right choice."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to join your class, but I wanted to make sure that I can really improve. I have a long way to go"

Byleth thought about it for a second, Felix wasn't so different from him when he was focussed. Maybe that's what he himself need it, to focus on his new students. The last few weeks just passed by and then all the trouble with the Chalice and his mother. A lot of new things overwhelming him and now he was trying to deal with the pressure, to find a true purpose just like he had just told Felix. Yes, he and Felix weren't so different after all.

Finally he looked at Felix and helped him stand up "Let's make a deal, Felix. I will let you join my class but there's a condition"

"Name it"

"I want you to find a new reason to be stronger, something that wasn't carb on your head from when you were a kid."

Felix raised an eyebrow "I don't get it. Can't you be a little more specific?"

"Not really, I don't even have one myself. But I believe that this path, the one I'm gonna walk with all my students will help me find it, and the same to you." Byleth raised his hand "So please, let's walk this path together until your graduation"

"We just have one year, I don't think I will change my mind in that short amount of time"

Byleth put back the sword on the barrel and placed a hand on Felix's shoulder, this time he didn't shake it away "We will see. I expect to see you on time tomorrow in the classroom, I'll do the paperwork with Seteth and Hanneman."

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I manage to use two support conversations since I wanted to stablish the relationship between the characters and the way I'm stirring this story.  
> I really want to use kind of a wuxia type of writing, which is about the relationship between master and pupil, I found it really interesting the way they handled it in the game but it fell short in my opinion, so I wanted to expand on this story.  
> And don't worry my fellows romance fans, there will be a lot of romance is just, as the tag said, this one will be a slow-burn ;)  
> Please look forward for the next chapter and thank you for reading.


	4. Old Wounds

Annette hated to be a burden to everyone else, not only in battle but also in everyday circumstances. Such was the case when she had kitchen duty which was a messier job than gardening or working at the stables, specially if you did it didn't work.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!!!" Annette yelled running desperately through the kitchen with a smoking pan in her hands and quickly put off the fire by diving it in the water of the dish pit.

She chewed on her lower lip with frustration.

_ I can't give up. _

She cleaned the pan and turned to try to cook the egg rolls again but the head chef was in front of her, the woman had her strong arms around her waist.

"Annette dear, why don't you let me make those egg rolls? You had already work your load here so let me just help you with that"

Annette had only served the food to the students because of her horrible cooking skills that most of the time end up making a mess and in the worst case scenario destroying part of the kitchen.

"Thank you Abby, but this is only my third try, I have the feeling that this time will be the charm"

Abby snatched the pan out of her hand "I'm sorry dear, but at this passe we will run out of eggs. Now go with your friends and I'll tell you when it's ready"

"But-"

"Now Annette"

Annette left the kitchen with a downcast look, she put up her black jacket and sat next to Mercedes on the table with all the blue lions. The others seemed to be having a conversation, Felix was also there, even though he was studying with the Black Eagles now he still passed the rest of his time with the Blue Lions.

"So was it hard at all?" Sylvain asked Felix.

"It's not that it was easy either, we just followed the Professor's lead, they were just bandits after all"

Felix had just come back from a mission with his class, routing a few bandits was an easy task, Annette had been in a few battles herself. The worst part was definitely getting use to take another person's life without losing your mind, it was really hard for Annette when she had to burn a bandit alive with her own hands, but Dimitri, Felix and the others were almost unfazed. She asked herself if she was being weak or maybe there was more to her friends that she could see.

"Did you finished what you were making Annette?" Ingrid asked.

"Not really, Abby decided to do it for me in the end" 

"It doesn't matter Annie, is the intention what really matters" Mercedes said and Annette wished she hadn't said that.

Dimitri turned with a raised eyebrow "Oh, are you preparing something for someone?"

"I...yeah something like that" She said trying not to look at Felix who was just eating his food unfazed just like Dedue next to him" 

"Oh jojojo, Annette I didn't take you for the forward type" Sylvain smiled "So who is it? A secret lover perhaps? Oh! Is it one of the guys from the library? Is it Ashe?"

The last comment made the young archer spill his drink all over Felix.

"What the hell!"

"I'm sorry, Felix!" Ashe said with his ears and face red as a tomato.

The others couldn't hold on the laugher, even Annette let out a giggle.

"So who is it then?" Sylvain asked again.

"I don't intend to tell you precisely to not give the wrong idea" Annette said crossing her arms "Besides, is not has I'm doing it for some kind of interest in him"

"So it is guy!"

"No!..I mean, yeah but is not what you think!"

Ingrid elbowed the red hair boy "Come on, stop molesting the girl, whatever she is doing is none of your business"

"Okay okay"

They kept talking about some of the classes they were having troubles with and Felix left to the training grounds just before Abby came with a little basket. 

"I can't thank you enough" Annette said

"Well you can start by not trying to cook on my kitchen anymore, at least the regular stuff. From now on you'll only take care of dessert. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am" although Annette wasn't much better baking either but she wasn't about to tell her that.

Felix had just finished eating so Annette decided to give him her brie food later that evening, with luck he would easily accept to forget about her embarrassing song.

Ingrid reached out to her just before Annette enter her room "Hey Annette, do you think you can help me with my hair? Usually I do it myself but my hand got hurt in training and can't twist it much."

"Sure, please come in"

They settled down in front of Annette's vanity mirror and began to work.

Ingrid's hair was always shinny and stunning like the pegasus she rode on. She began to untangle the golden lines, they were so soft it almost slipped thought her little fingers.

"You have such beautiful hair, Ingrid"

Ingrid smiled at her reflexion "Thanks, it's been...a while since someone ever said that to me."

"That can't be right. You see all those boys crazy about Edelgard, Hilda and Dorothea. I'm sure there has to be some suitors around."

"Oh, don't even get me start on that. My father is already putting enough pressure on me as it is"

"I can't say I really get it, my mother never was the kind to push the marriage thing to much. Most of it was just teasing, specially during the school of sorcery I had a few crushes but nothing significant."

Annette then started to twirl and tied Ingrid's hair, she looked at the mirror and she noticed Ingrid had her head a little down.

"Can you raise your head a little bit, please?"

"Yeah sure" she said but her voice had some strange quivering in it. Annette also saw how her shoulder were trembling ever so slightly.

"Ingrid, are you okay? Am I hurting you?"

"No, not at all. It's just, you know, I don't really like to talk about the marriage thing too much."

"I'm sorry, didn't know it was such a delicate subject."

"It's hard to put in to words. It doesn't really have to do with my family or anything, Felix an I even had an argument a few days ago"

Annette had to remake one of the ties that looked to rushed and unruly. "I might not be the smartest person but I want you to know that I'm always here for you. To hear whatever you need to say, even if you're just angry and want to blow out some steam"

Ingrid softened her features, it took a few minutes but finally she started to talk.

"I don't think you know, but I was engaged once, right at the moment I took my first breath as an infant, my father decided to give my hand in marriage to Glenn Fraldarius"

"Really I couldn't have... wait, Fraldarius?"

"That's right" Ingrid said with a sight "He was the eldest son of house Fraldarius, Felix's older brother. He was a knight like no other and he was to be one of the greatest men to ever hold the title of Shield of Faerghus."

Annette looked at Ingrid in the mirror, she could see her eyes sparkling and a sad smile adorning her face "You loved him, right?"

"Yes. Even though an arranged marriage is not the best place to start a romance, Glenn was different to any man. He was the image of honor, pride, respect and love for his country"

Annette felt suddenly uncomfortable while the image of a middle aged red haired knight came to her mind.

"But he died in the Tragedy of Duscur along with the king and a great chunk of his knights. Although Lord Rodrigue was proud for his son's sacrifice, it was a painful event that scarred is all. I haven't even really get over it but Felix, well he took it worst than anyone else, he just sat there by his brother's corpse like he was waiting for him to wake up. After the funeral, Felix wasn't the same again, something broke inside him, something that I don't think anyone can repair."

"I never knew" Annette said still trying to process everything but she had already done with the hair. "I'm done"

Ingrid stood up, her familiar hairstyle waiving elegantly.

"I'm sorry if I made you revived those memories" Annette said apologetic.

"It's alright, I actually feel a little better talking to you. Thanks again for helping me with my hair, I owe you one"

"Don't mention it"

Ingrid went out of the room leaving Annette with her thoughts and a little basket beside her. She made the trip to the training grounds where, as always, found Felix practicing his swordsmanship. Only now the girl could see something else in his footwork, in his swings, in his eyes. There was this strange and cold anger carefully directed to each move with murdering intend, an armor full of thorns meant to hurt anyone that tried to como close to him. Just like Annette who wanted to numb the pain by using her cheerful facade.

Now Annette knew that Felix Hugo Fraldarius was as vulnerable as she was, and just like her, his life was turned upside down by the Tragedy of Duscur.

Suddenly she didn't feel in the mood to give him the food that Abby prepared. It felt wrong somehow.

That evening Annette shared the meal with Bernadetta who actually smiled a little bit, the purple haired girl was actually spending more time in her room since the Ashen Wolfs joined her house.

Annette fell asleep that night wandering if it was possible for people like her and Felix to repair the bonds they had lost over the years. Could all that pain really go away?

She didn't find an answer that night.

**-O-**

Byleth's eyes didn't left Felix and Yuri, while all the other Black Eagles trained around the training grounds, the two swordsmen were having a very evenly matched. 

Felix had the speed and the strength, but Yuri had the uncanny ability to squeeze between his opponents attacks, it was like he could read Felix's every move even of e was changing stance constantly Yuri would just dodge it with little effort.

"So what do you think?" The Professor asked to Edelgard, she was sitting next to him while evaluating the match.

"It's impressive, it's like both of them were born with a sword in their hands"

Byleth nodded "To be honest I'm sure those two will surpass me one day, but that will only happen if we turn them into true warriors. That's the point of this new mission"

The Professor has returned from his meeting with the Archbishop. Apparently a minor Lord from the Kingdom, Lord Lonato Gildas Gaspard, was rising a rebellion against the Church of Serios which according to some people was a long time coming.

Now Byleth and his Black Eagles had been sent to suppress the rebels along with a small squad of the Knights of Seiros. 

So the professor had good reasons to be nervous, they were not facing a small group of bandits thist time but a true fully trained group of soldiers. His students were really good but it was normal to be afraid since in the end they were still teenagers most of them. 

Byleth could still feel the fear of seeing his students facing the monster in the Cathedral just a little more than a month ago. He had to be better, he had to teach better if he wanted to protect all of his students.

"You know you make a certain expression when you're lost in thought" Edelgard said pulling him out of his mind.

"What so you mean?" 

The girl reached with her finger almost touching the space between his eyebrows "You frown your eyebrows slightly and then start moving your leg like nervous dog"

"Really? I haven't noticed. I think it's even the first time it happens."

"Being a mercenary one could think you would be used to this. The anticipation before a battle"

"It hadn't happen before. But don't worry, I'm sure we will win without a problem"

Edelgard didn't looked convince but she didn't say anything.

A few minutes later Byleth stood up and clapped his hands twice "Alright class that's enough, I need all of you to gather, we will discuss the strategy on the next battle"

Everyone gathered near a little table where Byleth had set up a map.

"We are facing a different kind of terrain this time, a dense forest, plus the enemy are trained knight if the information is correct. So I want to be extra careful. We will place a company to protect the camp." Byleth raised his eyes "Balthus, you will be in charge of the defense along with Hubert and Hapi."

"Excuse me?" Hubert said with a frown "Are you suggesting for me to wait on camp while lady Edelgard is fighting?"

Byleth looked at the mage with a cold stare "I'm not suggesting Hubert. It's an order, you are not a healer and we already have Constance and Dorothea to cover for you and protect Catherine's knights. I need a commander figure in the camp while Edelgard, Yuri, Felix and me take the vanguard."

"But-"

"Hubert please" Edelgard interrupted "I'll be fine"

Hubert let out a sight and didn't say anything else. But before Byleth could continue, someone walked in the training grounds. 

He turned seeing the skinny figure of Ashe somehow looking even smaller with his head down and his hands press together.

"Can we help you Ashe?" Byleth asked.

The boy raised his green eyes to the teacher "I...I was told your class will be suppressing the rebellion from the Western Church" Ashe said.

"That's right Ashe" 

"Please, let come with you, I need to face Lord Lonato face to face."

Byleth approached and placed a hand in the boy's shoulder "I understand that he is your adoptive father, but here everyone needs to be in peak condition, physical and mentally. And I'm afraid you could put a lot of strain on you if you go"

"I'm begging you professor, I need to know why, I need to face him if he really wants to go and hurt innocent people, that's what a knight would do."

Byleth couldn't risk it, it wasn't fair for him but he didn't deserve to go through that kind of-

"Let him come, Professor" everyone turned to see that it was Felix who had spoken. He had his arms crossed and he was looking at Byleth right in the eyes "Ashe can be naive and a hopeless dreamer, but he is not the kind to fall apart during a battle no matter what, especially when his companions are at stake"

Byleth looked at Felix and then Ashe "You think you can protect Linhart during the battle?" The boy smiled and nodded "Then I think we will put Bernadetta on the camp"

"Oh thank the Goddess!" Bernadetta exclaimed.

"Alright. Then Linhart and Ashe will be behind the vanguard, Dorothea, Constance and Ferdinand will provide support to Catherine and her knights" the professor looked at Petra "Petra, I heard you're an excellent hunter and tracker"

"I'm much more good than that, Professor" She said with a smile and her own matter of speech.

**-O-**

Felix was surprised to see Annette waiting for him at the main gate while the Black Eagles departed to the kingdom, she stood up from the bench near the blacksmith and walked towards him.

"Hi" she said.

"Hi. What are you doing here?" 

She placed her hands behind her back and smile, for some reason that made him feel a little... uneasy, yeah that was the word. 

"I wanted to wish you good luck since I couldn't do it last time you went on a mission. I already talk with Ashe." That last part she added in a hurry.

"Oh yeah, thanks. We should be back in a couple of days if everything goes smoothly"

"I hope so" she said and fell silence for a second before looking eyes with him, her big blue eyes looked like two mirrors trying to trap Felix's soul. "Felix, even though you're not in our class anymore, I want you to know that you can still count on us, you can still count on me."

"I'll be fine"

She didn't drop the smile "Yeah, I know"

She walked away towards the main hall with a certain rhythm to her steps. He had trouble looking away

By the time they reached the forest Catherine was already there and she was informed of Byleth's strategy. But when they took the battlefield a strange fog started to materialize making everything harder to see.

"Felix and Yuri cover Ashe and Linhart, wait for my orders to advance." Byleth said and the students obeyed.

Felix gripped his sword in a two handed stance anticipating a sneak attack. He still couldn't perform any powerful spell and his archery skill was still of a beginner so he hadn't reached the assassin class. It would have come in handing in this kind of situations.

"Felix" Ashe whispered "I just wanted to thank you for standing up for me before"

Felix didn't even turned to see him not wanting to get distracted "That wasn't a favor, if you want to fight then don't you dare making a mistake and get yourself and others killed."

"You're right. And speaking of which, there are two enemies approaching from both sides."

"Take down the farthest, I will kill the other one"

Felix made a sprint through the mist like a hawk that had found It's prey. He held his sword downwards and before the soldier could see it he slashed the side of him in a quick motion. 

He knew that if those two soldiers were here then it meant there was more hidden in the woods ahead.

He crouched near a rock on the western side observing his sorroundings while keeping an eye on Ashe. A little further down he saw two shadows colliding with the sound of blades clashing, quickly Felix ran towards them.

He found Petra fighting a spearman, but then two more soldiers appeared from the mist behind her, Felix went ahead and intercepted the first man's attack. He tried to slash the soldier's arm from above but he was quick enough to dodge on time while his companion waved his sword from the right and Felix barely had time to block it. 

Fighting two people was never easy. And then it got worse because a third man appeared holding an axe. Felix heard a scream from behind and a few seconds later Petra came to his side at the same time that five more enemies appeared.

"Seems like they wanted to flank us from the side while the Professor and the others fought Lonato" Feliz said.

Petra nodded "It was my suspicion as soon as I seen the mist. It wouldn't make any sense to just cover a frontal attack, not with an area this vast."

They held gazes with the seven soldiers just before they charged.

Petra moved like a snake dodging a blade aiming to her neck and in a whiplash motion she cut the man's throat in a flash. Another soldier charged towards Felix but he managed to deflect the attack using his own bracelet, the soldier couldn't think while Felix drove his sword through the man's stomach. But he wasn't done, Felix pushed the corpse with him and drew out his sword by kicking the limp body against another soldier while the axe man came from the side.

Felix remembered his lessons with Byleth and waited for the strike, right before the massive weapon went down on him he made quick step to the left that almost made him trip but he managed to hold balance and twirled around slashing the axeman's undefended neck.

The other four men charged at the same time but one of them fell against one of Ashe's arrows while the other one was struck down when Yuri appeared and shot one of his spells. The other two, well they didn't really stood a chance against Felix and Petra.

"The Professor suspected an ambush because Petra took to much time returning" said Yuri "so he sent me to check what happened"

Petra nodded "His instincts were right, but we took care of it"

"Then make the signal to advance"

Petra held her hands in from of his mouth and made a sound similar to a tropical bird not common in this forest. A response came and that was the signal to move forward.

They heard some fighting up ahead and the thunderous roar of Catherine's relic and then suddenly the mist started to clear off leaving a horrible scene of corpses and blood throughout the battlefield. 

They found Byleth and the others near some kind of altar, Catherine was fighting a group of soldiers while the Professor and Edelgard stood against Lonato and his men. 

Before Felix could assess the situation completely Ashe sprinted forward going past him and stopping just a few meters away from Lonato.

The old knight made a powerful attack that Byleth could barely block and sent him flying against a tree.

"Shit!" Felix cursed "Linhart, go see if the professor needs help, Petra go with him"

He had to think fast and went ahead to reach Ashe, the boy was aiming an arrow directly at Lonato.

"Stand down Ashe" the old man said "I must destroy this evildoers by any means necessary"

"Please surrender, Lonato!" The pleaded "Whatever your reasons are, we can still talk it out"

"Rhea is an infidel who has deceived the people and desecrated the goddess! We have virtue and the goddess herself on our side!"

He sounded like a mad man, no, he sounded like he truly believed in his cause, a man driven by willpower alone, and that in itself was dangerous. Ashe was in danger.

"Even if all that is true, dragging the town folks into this like that isn't right"

"Enough. If that is how you think, prepare yourself! I'm putting an end to this."

Felix ran as hard as he could while Lonato charged against his step son with resolve.

_ I won't make it in time. _ Felix thought grimly.

Lonato raised his spear charging with his horse. Then the sharp noise of a bow string echoed through the forest, the trees and the wing in silence while a sharp arrow pierced the air and flesh.

Lord Lonato let go on his spear and was shaken for a moment before falling off his horse and rolling in front of Ashe. The old man had his eyes on the sky with an arrow in his forehead.

Everything was quiet for a moment while Ashe knelt down to his father's side. It was rare to see that kind of expression in Ashe, a look of sorrow and absolute pain. And Felix felt a horrible sense of deja vu when the boy screamed in agony, tears rolling down his face.

On the way back to the monastery there was no celebration for their victory, there was no feast, there was just the silence of the people who found out how war really was. There was no beautiful tales or songs about knights and heroes, just a field filled with cadavers, blood and the smell of death lingering like a massive shadow.

**-O-**

Outside of Garreg Mach in the darkness of an abandoned tower in ruins, two figures lingered like two ghosts of a forgotten time.

The Flame Emperor wasn't afraid of the night, they had walk throughout it since they were a child. They felt the phantom pain in their scars and their own heart every time they remembered the true darkness, the one hidden in the heart of humans.

The shadowed figure in from of them, the Death Knight was only another person like herself, scarred by the same people they work with, turned into a powerful machine of war to seek the deaths of his enemies at all cost.

"Lonato's rebelion has given us the necessary momentum to strike" the Flame Emperor said.

"The Monastery is in high alert now that the Archbishop's life is believed in danger" the Death Knight's voice was like of the death itself.

"Yes but that's precisely why our best chance to strike is now. During the Rite of Rebirth, the knights will be too occupy to notice what's really going on. I will help you enter the tomb but you will have to be quick to set up the best defense you can. I had seen this students fighting and they are no jest"

"That's better for me, but once we have what we came for I won't hold back anymore. I'll kill him with my own hands."

The Flame Emperor didn't respond to that and the Death Knight took it as a sign that they were on a agreement and disappeared into the mist with his horse.

The Flame Emperor slowly took off their mask watching the moon showering the land with it's light and for a moment the white face of the celestial titan had turned red in the Emperor's eyes. Like everything in their life, even the moon was covered in blood through their eyes. And much more blood was yet to be spilled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys, I know it's been a while, I had some personal problems and wasn't in the mood for writing.  
> I'll try to be more consistent with this story from now on.  
> I'm still looking for beta readers to help me with grammar and spelling if you're interested.  
> And I know we all know who the Flame Emperor is, I just want to hold a little bit of mystery.  
> Anyway, I already started to work on the next chapter and I'll try to publish it this same week to compensate for the hiatus.  
> Thank you all for reading and your comments.


	5. The Edge in Battle

The next days in the monastery were like the calm before the storm. Rhea and Seteth had ordered the Knights of Seiros to double the guard shifts and all the houses to be on high alert as the celebration of the Rite of Rebirth approached.

Byleth sustained minor injuries from the last battle and had to wear a splint in the arm for a week. In the meantime he analyzed what could be done to improve the power of his class as a group. If Lonato was maybe just a pawn in a much bigger game, then they might have problems down the line against this new enemy.

He had to admit playing this shadow game against an invisible foe was much harder than the usual straightforward battles he was used to. With that in mind he decided to ask for advice to his students, most of them were nobility so they knew more about political schemes and espionage. 

After Byleth explained all of that to Edelgard she sat next to him in a bench near the stables "So those are your conclusions, I most admit I'm impressed" she said "For someone who grew up detached from most of society you have a good grasp of the situation"

"I wouldn't say that" Byleth said "I'm entering in a kind of battlefield I haven't been before, it's quite frightening really. So that's why I need your help. You're the heir to the throne of the Adestrian Empire you have to know at least something about people who works against the state from the shadows."

"And you would be right to assume that. Let's see. We know about the letter to assassinate Lady Rhea from Lord Lonato. Now what's strange about that?" She said looking at Byleth.

"Well, it just. It looks a little bit suspicious. If the order to assassinate the head of the church is issued then I think it would be better to just communicate that in person and not a letter that could be lost and found by the wrong person"

"Exactly, is such an easy way to give away the plan, and if you use the same logic in a battle"

Byleth rubbed his chin "If an enemy's movement is too obviously clumsy, then it might be that it's not. It's a tactic to make you confident and fall into a trap. That means…"

"That means we aren't thinking outside the box." 

Byleth nodded "Yes, but we can't fight an enemy that we don't have a clue of it's identity or whereabouts"

Edelgard stood up from the seat "Then we will just have to focus on what we can do, strategize"

Byleth thought for a moment, going back and forth between his options. The best resources he had were his students, and with Edelgard, Felix, Yuri, Caspar, Balthus and Ferdinand, he had the best vanguard in the whole monastery, he could post his best fighters in specific areas, but strength wasn't enough. And then the inspiration came.

"That's it!" He said standing up.

"What is it?" Edelgard asked.

"What you said, we have to strategize. I can't avoid a trap that I'm not aware of, that's the whole point of setting it. But if we somehow manage to out smart that trap, then we will have a chance of victory even if we are blind to the grand scheme of things"

"So what are you planing then?"

"An overwhelming force, one that can counterattack against any kind of situation, we have a good vanguard but we are short on mages, Constance, Dorothea and Hubert are exceptional but their are not enough."

Byleth started walking, his mind going at top speed while Edelgard tried to keep up.

"A coalition between the houses will be too suspicious and our enemy may find a way to counter it if they are really watching us. So we will manage it as if an special meeting, something out of strife for knowledge. That would attract a few minds"

Edelgard narrowed her eyes "I still don't understand. Are you going to make an alliance with the other houses?"

"Not exactly, but not far off either. I will explain the rest later but for now, I need you, Hubert, Caspar, Hapi and Ferdinand to patrol the monastery for now. Tell Petra to gather information with the guards outside, about anything that could have seem strange, like the weather or the direction the birds fly, trust me it will help. Lastly send Bernadetta, Balthus and Yuri to cover the three ways the main hall separates, don't worry just tell Bernadetta she just have to watch nothing else."

"What about Felix and Constance? Professor, wait!"

"They will be with me, they just-aaahh!!" 

Byleth was interrupted when he turned to Edelgard but didn't see that he walked towards the bushes in the tea garden. He tripped against the unexpected grass road and his face and upper body were buried in the bushes. 

He heard a few people gasped and a soft voice laughing behind him.

"Goodness are you okay?" Edelgard asked between laughs.

Byleth quickly remove himself from the plant falling on the ground on his back. Edelgard trying to content the laughter by covering her mouth with her hands.

Byleth felt her cheeks grew hot, a strange sensation on his chest pouring out, he couldn't quite identify it but he was surprised to find Edelgard's voice quite pleasant.

He stood up brushing the leafs off his clothes "I hope you're enjoying yourself" he said with a strain tone.

She finally stopped and returned to her normal collected expression, her cheeks were still red though. "I'm sorry Professor, it won't happen again. Though I have to say, I couldn't think of you as a clumsy person"

"I'm not, it just...I was too concentrated on more important matters"

"More important than walking straight?" She said with a smile.

"Okay, you had your fun. Now please go do what I asked you to do"

"Yes my teacher" she said walking away from him. 

"And Edelgard" he called trying to avoid her gaze "You have a nice laugh, you should try using it more often"

He strolled off without waiting for an answer.

**-O-**

  
  


_ Magical Proficiency Program _

_ Interviews Open _

The small sign read near the tea area, it looked rushed but it would do for a small event like this. Felix sighted sitting on one side of the table next to Byleth while Constance on the other side looked way more excited for this than Felix.

According to the Professor's plan they had made the announcement to make an special series of lectures focusing on magic theory and application. The program required for the students who wanted to participate from other houses to join the Black Eagles temporarily in their classroom.

But in reality, the program was actually a way to assemble more students to plan a defense against the imminent attempt of assassination on Lady Rhea's life. 

The Archbishop, Seteth, Hanneman and Manuela were made aware of this and gave their approval. But outside of them, only Constance and Felix were aware of the true nature of the plan.

Of course most of the students declined the invitation since there weren't to many mages at the school, but it didn't matter, they didn't need more fighters after all, they needed mages.

The first one to arrive was Lysithea, she wasn't really difficult to convince since the prospect of studying the secret arts of The Abyss known by Constance and Hapi was quite thrilling for her.

Next was the always shy Marianne.

"I...I didn't know it was going to be an interview" the blue haired girl said with her characteristic tired look. 

"No worries Marianne" Byleth said "You will enter the program if you want, this interview is actually to know what skills you have and what other skills are you striving for."

"Oh, that's fine, I guess"

_ Dear Goddess, this girl is just like Bernadetta but without the energy. I wonder if she also has a secret technique.  _ Felix thought.

"I heard you had spent a lot of times in the stables" Byleth said "I'm also aware that Dimitri, who is trying to become a knight got some good advise from you"

Marianne suddenly looked up and Felix could swear he saw an spectre of pink in her face. "Did he said that?"

Byleth nodded "Enough for me to consider you to help in the development of our mounted units, I was actually thinking on training to become a Dark Knight myself. And with your knowledge in magic your addition could be a great addition to us"

"Really?"

Constance nodded "Of course dear, you just wait for all the things I want to show you, you'll be an unstoppable force in no time!"

Marianne looked a little more relaxed "Then I'll be joining then, I hope is not a problem"

"Not at all, please sign here" Constance lended her a pen and the paper with the names of the students.

Marianne signed and left the table.

Byleth sighted "Well that's it for the Golden Deer, now this is where you come in Felix." He said looking at the boy "I need you to help me convince Annette and Mercedes to join"

"I don't know if you noticed, but I'm not the people's person kind of guy. I don't even know what am I doing here" Felix said with a frown.

"I know you are a little sharp on the edges and a gigantic stick in the mud sometimes times" he said always blunt "But they are your classmates, you know them better than anyone in my class"

Felix sighted again, he was going to be sitting here for a while all the same, he might as well try to care. "Whatever"

"Oh, hi Annette!" Byleth said and Felix turned his gaze to the small girl while she sat in front of them. "I'm glad you decided to talk to us, I had taken the liberty to check on your grades from the School of Sorcery and I have to say I'm impressed."

Annette let out a small laugh "Well anyone can be good by paying just a little attention to class. But I always wanted to teach in that same school and...well there's some personal reasons involved too"

Felix raised an eyebrow. Personal reasons? 

"I won't pry on your private matters" Byleth said "Instead we are interested in your teaching methods for magic theory, it could be useful for a bunch of our main attack force. In fact, Felix here is fairly interested in becoming a Mortal Savant"

Felix looked at Byleth, but the Professor looked quite amused. 

"Is that true Felix?" She asked, and Felix find it hard to hold her gaze.

"Yeah, I guess. But I still have to practice with the bow to be an assassin"

"That makes sense, if you start training your speed you will have an advantage when you become a Mortal Savant, plus I could teach you great spells to counterattack against big armors or even other mages" there was an air enthusiasm in her voice.

"What kind of spells?" He asked.

"Something with great range and easy to cast." She snapped her fingers "Like Thoron, yeah that would be perfect"

Felix was now seriously thinking on the advance training and it's benefits "With a combination of sword proficiency and magic support" he said rubbing his chin "Yeah, it sounds optimal"

He turned towards Byleth and Constance, both of them were smiling, Felix clear his throat.

"Anyway" he said "Are you in or not?"

"Oh, right, of course. I'll be there" she said signing the paper, then she strolled out of the area and Felix again had problems to look away. He turned again to the Professor and Constance, they were smiling again.

"Next" Felix said.

**-O-**

To think that the Professor would come up with such an idea, maybe Annette gave him less credit than she should. On the first day of the so called Magic Proficiency Program Byleth had close the doors of the Black Eagles classroom and explained the situation to all the students.

The plan in the end was about placing the students in strategic spots to keep watch for any suspicious activities around the Monastery. Not only that but they had spent the whole day making a battle plan to intercept and counterattack the enemy as quickly and efficiently as possible, and it was imperative that the vanguard worked with the mages for the plan to work. So the Professor arranged different duos to keep watch, this bringing her to the current situation, sitting there in the training grounds during the day of the Rite of Ribirth.

"No, you don't get it" Annette pointed at one of the paragraphs of the book on magic theory "You can't just force your body to make the spell, you make the magic circle and that's when you can launch the energy, the circle will transform it on to the right element, in your case lightning."

Felix rubbed his eyebrows with frustration "Why do we need to study this? Wouldn't it be much simpler to show me how to make the spell?"

Annette crossed her arms frowning "I can show you, but that won't help you to understand how to make a circle. Felix are you listening?"

"Would you lower your voice? It's very high pitched sometimes"

She did lower the volume but her anger wasn't really clenched "I'm just trying to help you" she said looking to the side.

"Why?"

It was true that the program was just a cover so the enemy won't suspect on the new guard arrangements, but they might as well try to seem a little authentic. And…

"Well, I just wanted to help you, that's all" she said not looking him in the eyes. "It's not like I have some ulterior motive or anything"

"You are bad liar" he said. And the worst part is that he was right.

"You think I didn't notice when I went to the green house and the stables and was told that somebody already did my chores?" He sat up looking at her. "What are you really planing?"

Annette decided that lying even further would be to insult his intelligence "Okay, fine! I was planning on briding you. I just wanted you to forget about the song, okay? The one that I was singing in the green house"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Please Felix, I will take your shifts in the stables and the green house for the rest of the year."

Felix stood up from the ground were the books of magic where scattered "No thanks" he said while stretching his arms.

Annette stood up too to try to be more at his level but he was a whole head taller than her "What you mean by 'no thanks'? That's not okay! You have to forget, right this instant!"

He shrugged "I can't, it's permanently edged to my memory. A mountain of sweets, as well as steaks and cakes. A stack of them apparently. But," he said turning to see her flush horribly "I'm also curious about those songs about swamp besties, and the moves where you sang crumbs and yums. Was that some kind of fencing footwork?"

"Stop it, Felix! You're a villain!" She yelled feeling her cheeks about to explode. She turned quickly "You know what? Fine! Make me the laughingstock of the whole Monastery for all I care!"

She headed to the door not caring that her guard shift hasn't ended yet, but she was cutted short by Felix. With just a few quick steps he had rushed ahead and put himself between the door and her.

"Our shift hasn't ended" he said

"I don't care. I can't be with you in the same place any longer."

"I fail to see why since I was just trying to be nice. Pff, that's what I get to try to sound interested"

This time she looked him in the eyes defiantly "You have a strange way of showing it, bullying me around and all"

Felix huffed and walked towards one of the barrels with wooden swords "Think what you want. I might not be interested in people that are weak, but I'll never go out of my way to abuse somebody weaker than me. Besides" he took one of the swords "You are not weak Annette, I had seen you fighting"

Was that supposed to be a complement? She tried to sound more angry than she was "You're still a villain for making fun of me"

"I wasn't" he threw another sword towards her and she barely caught it "Come on, show me that footwork of yours"

"What?"

"You had been teaching me magic for the last two weeks, now is my turn to teach you something. This for the sake of your skill and my sanity, because I can't stand to read another magic grimoire"

"You want to teach me fencing?"

"Yes, now, on guard" he took a few steps quick as a hawk and Annette barely had time to block the attack but Felix just hit her sword and knock it off her hands easily. "And that's the first lesson, stance and how to hold a sword"

"I-I wasn't prepared!" She stuttered

"No, no you weren't. That's what this lesson is about" Felix grabbed his own sword by the dull blade and lend it to Annette. Then he made her face one of the dummies.

"You see that's your first problem" he said and Annette was surprised when he use his own leg to move both of hers apart a little. "You have to stand like this, both legs separated and don't put your weight on your toes but the whole foot, I will make defense easier and you'll be quicker to dodge."

"Okay" she said feeling that he was close enough to feel his breathing on her neck, and even though the weather was generally cool she was starting to sweat inside her jacket.

"And here" Felix then placed one of his hand in one of her shoulders and the other one on her hands holding the sword "Raised your hands a little more, it won't take long for your arms to get use to weight"

She was now blushing again but this time it wasn't out of shame, no, this feeling she found it quite pleasant but tortuous at the same time. Like when she was a kid and her mother baked some cookies but she wasn't allowed to eat them until she was finished with her chores, the smell would torture her the whole day. 

But his was different, and the source of her torture wasn't the smell of some cookies but how close she was to Felix.

"Now" he said snapping her out of her thoughts "One quick swing and then do that spin you made with the crumbs and yums for the second one"

"So you were teasing me!"

"Focus Annette. Ready? Now!"

She use her small amount of anger for the first attack, it was strong and the dummy trembled because of the force, the sound of the clash of wood making a loud sound. But her hand wasn't weaken one bit so she made the spin and struck a second time with a yell.

This time the force was a little too much for her and the recoil made her land the wrong way, she tripped and fell on her back.

Felix quickly came an offered his hand. "Not bad for a first try"

"I told you it wasn't a fencing footwork" She said taking his hand and he pulled her up. Suddenly they were way to close, Felix's strength was enough for her to stand and be just a few inches from him and for just a few second she was looking right to those bright eyes of him. But he snapped her eyes open and let go of her, he turned his back to her to pick up the other sword.

He cleared his throat "Well, I guess everyone can be a natural"

"Oh yeah, I guess" she stuttered again "Thank you for the tip"

"Whatever" he said finally turning but not looking her in the eyes"

They were trapped in a strange uncomfortable silence for a few seconds before they saw a shining in the sky painted in orange by the dusk, they raised their heads to see a small fireball shooting form the northern side of the monastery.

Annette narrowed her eyes knowing what it meant "That's near the cathedral, Ferdinand and Lysithea's team"

He nodded "Yes. Do you have your mage robes right?"

"Yes" she said taking a small bag where she had her equipment

Felix took his own bag with his own equipment and his steel sword "Then let's go get those fools"

They ran through the dark hallways whole putting their protective gear.

**-O-**

"Looks like you were right Professor" Edelgard said smiling.

The whole class of the Black Eagles along with the new mages were in the Holy Mausoleum of Seiros, all looking to the enemy they had been preparing for. 

A small force of warriors and dark mages from the Western Church had make a perimeter through the whole place. Ferdinand and Lysithea had spotted a strange individual going to the Mausoleum while he thought nobody was watching so they called the rest of team.

"They are after the tomb" said Edelgard.

"Then don't let them escape" Byleth raised his sword, "Felix, your team will strike from the right, Ferdinand through the left. That way we will cover all the exits. Healers, don't go further than the vanguard, let them take care of the fighters while our mages focus on the enemy mages."

They all nodded and split-up in three teams.

Felix advanced quickly with Caspar, Annette, Constance and Mercedes. Ferdinand on the other hand went in with Yuri, Balthus, Bernadetta, Marianne and Hapi.

In the center Byleth adopted a slower paced since he had more enemies to take care of. Edelgard, Petra and Dorothea acted as the main vanguard, the last one was actually a little behind considering she also had to provide covert with magic. Hubert, Lysithea and Linhart acted has magic support.

This time Edelgard required speed so she decided to use a sword instead of her usual axe so he managed to cut through the mages in the front easily. They clearly planned to hold them back with long range spells but the swordsmen were too quick for the projectiles.

She then noticed some enemies hiding between the other tombs "Petra, fall back and protect Dorothea" she commanded. Byleth was a little further fighting two soldiers at once. 

Edelgard pressed forward unsheathing a Levin Sword and using it to make a lightning strike towards one of the soldiers. Byleth killed the other soldier a few seconds later. But now that both were in the middle of the ambush so Edelgard pressed her back to his so they didn't have any blind spots.

That's when five other swordsmen and five spearmen surrounded them.

"Well this is a pickle" she said trying to sound calm but she was sweating a lot. Byleth wasn't in better condition either.

"What, this? My dear student this is just the warm up" 

She let out a small laugh and struck one of the spearmen with lightning. Another one tried to impale them both but they had already practice fencing before, Byleth and Edelgard were in enough synch to dodge to each side.

The Professor broke the spear with one single hit of the shield in his arm and cuted the man's neck in one smooth swing. 

Edelgard ducked to dodge two simultaneous attacks from the swordsmen, she then made a swing upward sending both blades to the air. That startled her opponents enough time to use both her swords to stab each man at the same time.

Another spearman came from one side, Edelgard dodged but she wasn't quick enough as the blade caressed her leg making a big cut in her thigh. She stumbled because of the pain but she used her other leg to jumped to the side and shoot another lightning to the man. 

She fell on the floor near a coffin, Byleth had already make the enemy retreat a little so Linhart came safely to heal Edelgard's wound.

"It's not bad" he said applying magic "But I don't think you should keep fighting in the vanguard, the wound could open again and your defense suffer for it."

"It's alright, either way I think we are almost done" Oh but they weren't done, Edelgard looked how Byleth had already cleared the center of the Mausoleum and sprinted forward.

Then he suddenly stopped when a flash of the dark magic Teleportation appeared before him. Then  _ he  _ was standing there.

Always menacing, ominous and an absolute terrifying sight for his enemies, the Death Knight had arrived.

The dark figure laid his red eyes on Byleth and Edelgard could see the lust for battle in them.

"Ah" said the Death Knight "You are the one who I was looking forward to meet. But words are not necessary, let our blades do the talking"

And without warning the Death Knight charged towards Byleth, he barely managed to dodge rolling to the side. A rain of sparks limited the Mausoleum as the Death Knight's scythe scratched the floor.

The second attack Byleth blocked it but the force of the horse almost made it loose his balance. Edelgard noticed Byleth changing the sword to his left arm while he stretched the right one a little before grabbing the sword with that one again. His arm had just healed and it was hard to keep a straight stance against this kind of foe.

The Professor was going to die for sure.

Edelgard had to grab her thigh to reassure herself that he was a necessary lost. Yet she felt her heart skip a beat every time he managed to dodge or block an attack knowing that it would be the last.

Were the dark mages done yet? If they managed to get what they came for quickly then they' would call off the attack.

But turned out that Ferdinand and Felix were pushing forward at an amazing speed, they were better than Edelgard had given them credit for.

The Death Knight hit Byleth again, this time he flew across the stairs heading to the altar. He was bleeding from the forehead and his shield was broken.

Dorothea, Lysithea and Hubert jumped to help with their spells but they barely made a scratch on the dark armor, the enemy sent a wave of dark magic towards their direction and knocking them all out of the way.

"You are only pest. Walk away if you don't want to suffer a gruesome death" the Death Knight said.

"Don't you dare to touch them!" Byleth said with a roar that resonated through the Mausoleum "If you hurt one hair of my student's, I'll make you regret it"

Edelgard was stunned for a moment when he saw the expression on the Professor's eyes, there was fire in them, determination and she could almost see his soul shining like a raising sun.

Byleth prepared for the next attack as the Death Knight charged, and for a moment he just stood still, he almost got hit by the attack. But right at the last moment, a flash of light iluminated Byleth, the characteristic flash of a crest activation.

With almost lightning speed Byleth dodged the attack and made one single swing making a deep wound the knight's horse. The animal stumbled and rolled living a trace of blood on the floor and his master on the way.

Byleth used this opportunity and ran towards the last mage near the coffin of Saint Seiros.

"You can't do anything" the mage stuttered "The seal is already-"

Byleth cutted him short by actually cutting his right arm, the man let out a cry of pain and took something from the coffin, a strange sword that look like-

_ So it was there after all. _ Edelgard gasped internally.

But the man couldn't even use the sword, Byleth knocked it down of his arm and grabbed it.

As a last resource the mage tried to make a fireball but Byleth deflected it with his new sword. The strange blade hit the man like a whip with a blood-red swipe.

Edelgard was too stunned to see that the enemy had been defeated, some were dead and the only few alive were made prisoners by the other two teams.

Felix, Ferdinand and the others approached the Death King to seize him but he only looked at Byleth.

"That sword," he said, Edelgard could heard the smile in his twisted voice "Interesting. I had enough, for now. We will meet again"

With that the knight disappeared with a dark flash.

The Black Eagles had won...and Edelgard had failed.

**-O-**

Felix was sitting in one of the giant benches of the cathedral along with the other Black Eagles, he had a strong headache due to a fortress knight hitting him with his shield. Mercedes, Linhart and Marianne were healing each of the students that had sustained injuries, Felix had asked to be the last since his weren't that serious. Luckily all of them had come out alive thanks to the Professor's strategy.

He let out a sight feeling a strange sensation of achievement, he had shown his skills as a swordsman and has a leader. But he still had a long way to go to be as good as Byleth, still the fulfilling sensation was enough to make him feel...happy?

He then felt a warm feeling on his head, he opened his eyes to see Annette smiling at him while applying a healing spell on him.

"I didn't know you knew healing spells" he said.

She shrugged "I just learned last week, it's not much but it will help you feel better tomorrow"

They were silent for a moment, the throbbing in his head disappearing slowly.

"I just told the Professor I'll be joining the Black Eagles" she said and Felix opened his eyes wide.

"What!? Why?" She asked.

"You don't want me to be in the class?"

"What? No! I mean yes. No wait-" he stuttered and she laughed.

"Well that's a new one. Now I'm the one teasing you"

"Shut up" he said turning away flushing.

Luckily she let the matter go and walked away to heal someone else.

Felix found himself thrilled for the next class to come.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if sometimes I spend to much time with school stuff, I'm a teacher myself so I like to show that teacher side of Byleth a lot more.  
> I wrote two chapters for this same week as an apology for the hiatus, but I'll still try to get the chapters out fast.  
> Again thank you very much for reading, I'll see you all next week.


	6. Bloodlines

It was dark again, that kind that is pitch black and impossible to get a grip of one's self, you can't see, you can't sense, you can't talk. But you heard, you heard something crawling in the deepness of that horrible void.

She was there again and she knew what was to come, she heard screams, a nightmarish chorus that always repeated itself in her head.

Edelgard managed to get a sense of direction and tried to see anything in the dark, she turned feeling the cold floor wet beneath her naked feet. And then she saw a light, a little lamp in fact on top of a wooden table, next to it was a big couch with it's against her.

She felt cold in her back, but she walked towards the couch, a voice inside her screamed to not go. To ignore the silent calling of the person sitting there but she didn't listen, or rather, her legs wouldn't listen.

She finally reached the chair and walked around it, she then stopped feeling hearing herself gasp.

It was her older brother Lionel, he was skinny to the point of starvation. His once beautiful dark hair turned white and his face was making a strange smile showing all his teeth, his tongue was scarred with all the times he tried to bite his own tongue, his eyes bloodshot looking at Edelgard.

"It hurts," he said with a twisted voice "Sister, it hurts"

She kneeled beside him "I know, but you have to be strong, you can't give in into despair"

"Just like you," said a voice behind her. She saw her little sister Bellice, a small part of her hair was white, her white nightgown stained with the blood of the cuts in her arm and legs. "Just like the perfect sister, the strong one, the best option"

"Not like us, the expendable ones," said Seth the oldest one, his once tall frame was reduced to a pitiful crippled state, completely bald and he had more wrinkles than his father. "Not like the weak ones"

Then more lights appeared along with her other brothers, all in horrible physical state.

"We are not worthy," they said "Not like Edelgard, not like the Emperor"

"No," said Edelgard "Is not like that, please"

They slowly walked towards her and she could only kneel on the blood-soaked floor.

"The blood Emperor," they said "The Emperor of Death, standing in the corpses of her brothers. All hail Lady Edelgard, all hail the Emperor"

"Help me, please." She pleaded "Father, save me"

She stood straight up giving a small scream. She was back in her room and she almost jumped at the sound of the door knocking.

"Who's there?" She said standing up. She wrapped a red robe around her, she also took the dagger she always carried and kept her hidden in the robe.

She made sure to put on her gloves before opening the door, she saw Byleth standing outside. He was wearing his academy black uniform without his hat.

"Edelgard is everything alright?" He asked.

"Professor? Y-yes, everything is fine."

"I heard something"

Edelgard lowered her head trying to avoid his gaze."So you heard me. I guess I was talking in my sleep"

"It sounded more than that. You were having a bad dream?"

She let out a sigh and looked around the hallway, it appeared Hubert hadn't heard her. She stepped aside opening the door. "Come in, I don't want to make you stand in the hallway."

Byleth hesitated for a second, no doubt thinking of the implications of a teacher being along with a female student in her room. But he quickly entered sticking to his blunt but weirdly straightforward personality.

She closed the door and sat in her chair, once again not meeting his eyes.

"Yes, it was a nightmare, a bad one at that," she said.

"What was it about?"

"What would you want to know?"

Byleth walked forward to stand in front of her, he was looking at her like a father would look at his daughter, as a teacher to his students.

"Because I care, Edelgard. I want to help, I might not be all that helpful but I can try to do my best, and that's better than just walk away and do nothing" 

_ He has changed, even is just a little. _

She remembered how he was standing there inf don't of her by the work of practically a miracle. She tried to destroy him and he managed to get out of a duel against the Death Knight and using the Sword of the Creator no less. Edelgard felt something a small pinch of pain in her chest, it was guilt.

"I will tell you. But you must swear not to tell a soul about it" he nodded "I dreamed of my childhood. I dream of my brother, paralyzed, helpless."

She looked down closing her fist trying not to fall apart "My older sister crying for help that never came and the youngest babbling words beyond meaning. I see my family dying slowly, waiting in the darkest depths for a glimmer of light."

"I didn't know you have brothers and sisters"

"I once had ten siblings, eight older and two younger." She smiled with irony "Such a large family, and yet I became the heir to the throne. Do you know why?"

She looked on to his eyes for the first time, as if trying to herself to say the words "Every last one of them was crippled by disease or lost their minds or died. I was the only one left who could inherit the throne"

For the first time, she saw the emotion in the Professor's face, though she didn't know how to identify it. "How could such a thing happen"

"Things kept getting worse. The darkness kept getting darker." She hugged her arms "In the end, I was the only one who survived. The nightmares are a reminder, to never forget. To never allow such terrible things to happen again"

"Even now, I'm the only one who can carry the weight of the Adrestian Empire. The future of the Empire, of everything, depends on me"

She looked at Byleth again, but this time he seemed sad, truly. He had his eyes downcast and a strange pale color was crawling on his face. But Edelgard didn't want to talk anymore.

"I never told anyone about this, so please keep your promise"

"I will," he said almost snapping back into reality. He walked a little but stopped just after escaping her point of view "Edelgard, I wanted to apologize"

She snapped her eyes open and turned to look at him "Apologize? For what?"

He sighted "For jumping to conclusions before"

"What do you mean?"

"When started teaching here, I have the impression that all of the students were spoiled children of noblemen. All away from the harsh reality of war. But I was wrong, and it was stupid of me to think that way without knowing you."

She kept coming back to his image standing in the Mausoleum, bleeding, and facing the Death Knight with fury when he attacked the other students.

"No, it's alright," she said "You grew up away from society, no wonder you didn't have a full grasp of everything"

"That's no justification. I understand if you don't want to forgive me, but I couldn't keep going without telling you the truth"

Edelgard looked into his eyes for a moment, a cold determination in his face. She smiled, that faked smiles she learned to make. "There's nothing to forgive, my teacher. Please, do not worry with this"

They stood in silence for a moment, no one knowing what to say and Edelgard found herself growing unsettled with his mere presence. A strange sensation that made her skin a little hotter. 

Luckily she didn't have to wait much longer since Byleth took the initiative and opened the door "Sleep well, Edelgard"

"Sleep well, my teacher"

He was indeed a strange man, he had few words to say just like a blunt warrior, his face always devoid of true emotions yet his eyes always talked with the truth. Was everyone able to see those expressions or was she a special case?

She went to bed a few minutes after and surprisingly, she slept soundly this time.

**-O-**

Felix yelled when the powerful recoil of the lightning spell made him fly against a tree.

A singing voice laughed at him and he stared at Annette's if trying to pierce her with his gaze. "If you're going to just stay there and fool and around then leave me to train in peace"

She approached with her hands behind her back, almost jumping through the grass in the forest just outside the Monastery.

"You know you're doing it wrong, right?" She said with a smile, she clearly had the patience of a true teacher because he had been trying that spell the whole morning and the better part of the evening "You're releasing the energy too fast. You must let it go at the right time just when you feel it reach your fingertips"

She demonstrated the stand by pointing her hands towards another tree, it took only a few seconds for the magic circle to appear and a wing spell flew towards the plant, her hand barely moving as the wave struck.

"You see? Is about control, not strength"

Felix stood up cleaning himself up. He sighted trying the Thoron spell again, he had already trained with the bow and had reached the assassin class. But he still couldn't keep up with Byleth in a fight, hell even Caspar was still trouble sometimes, he wasn't as fast as Felix but one single blow from his fist could put him in trouble.

The magic circle appeared in front of him, it was really hard to feel the energy go through his body.

Then Annette placed her hands on his arm "It's just like the blood Felix, like adrenaline, feel it go through your heart and travel in your veins" her voice was softer than usual, it was as if she tried to melt with her thoughts, that, plus the magic energy made a strange experience. He felt different, at peace. Is this what a mage felt when interacting with the magic arts? Or was it the girl's voice whispering to his ear?

He finally felt it, a pressure traveling quickly from the shoulder to his hand and right at the moment it reached the fingers...he let go.

A powerful ray of light escaped from his hands that didn't move an inch, the light struck the tree making a joke on the wood and breaking it in half.

Annette let out a cheerful yell mixing with the impact of the tree on the ground. "You did it!"

"Huh, well that was surprising." Felix flexed his arm a little "Still, it's way too slow to be reliable on the battle"

"But you did it for the first time!" She said "From here it will be much easier"

Felix looked at her, her eye was glowing in the sun. He at least could bring himself to say it now that she was here.

"Thanks," he said looking away "for helping me with my training"

"No worries, I just did what I set out to do"

"I guess you don't want me talking about your songs then"

"What?"

"Your songs. I guess this was another one of your blackmails"

She opened her eyes wide "Oh! I..I didn't actually think about it. I just want it to help you" her cheeks turned a little pink while kicking some dirt. Were those songs so embarrassing to her?

"Annette." He said looking at her "I want you to know that I never thought of telling anybody about your songs. Still, never thought you'll feel so bad about them"

"They are embarrassing, Felix. I made them up when I was a kid. I shouldn't even be singing them." Annette turned around and started picking up the books she had brought to help him "Those songs, they remind me of home. My mother and I spent days thinking on net lyrics and tunes while reading stories On winter she would make cookies and cake, is surprising that I never learned to bake to save my life"

Felix smiled a little but returned to his usual frown when she turned around.

"Even though they are childish, I don't want to forget them"

"I see," he said, "Well, you don't have to worry, I won't say anything about it."

"Really?" 

Felix nodded.

"Thank you, Felix" 

They stood there in silence for a few seconds not knowing what to say as if a strange atmosphere fell upon then, but then she talked.

"Felix I-" but she stopped, she looked at something over his shoulder and Felix turned to see none other than Lord Rodrigue, his father, coming from the Monastery and crossing the forest towards them.

"What are you doing here?" Felix asked, his father looked at him with disapproval.

"I see this past few months hasn't done anything about your manners, Felix," Rodrigue said.

Felix frowned as Rodrigue approached, his father looked at him, then he looked at Annette, then Felix again. The boy rolled his eyes.

"Annette, this is my father Rodrigue Fraldarius. Old man, his is Annette Fantine Dominic." 

Rodrigue bowed a little "Lady Dominic, a pleasure to meet you."

Annette responded with another bow "The pleasure is all mine, Lord Fraldarius"

His father looked a little troubled "Dominic, isn't it? Aren't you related to the knight Gilbert Pronislav?"

Annette snapped her eyes opened "My Lord, did you say Gilbert Pronislav?"

"Yes, he is one of the Knight is Seiros that came with me to the monastery. I heard he was related to the Domicic family in some way."

Felix looked at Annette, she had a strange expression that was a mix of surprise and slight panic.

"Lord Rodrigue, please tell me where can I find this Gilbert" 

"He is on the Cathedral last I checked"

"Thank you, my Lord." She said in a hurry sprinting through the grass "I'll see you later Felix"

Both men looked while Annette disappeared inside the Monastery taking with her any trace of the slight good mood Felix had.

"Lovely lady" 

Felix turned to pick up the swords Annette and he was using to train. "She is a classmate, we joined the Black Eagles not too long ago"

"I heard. I was expecting you would stay with your friends in the Blue Lions."

"They know I wanted to get stronger, and Professor Byleth is one of the best warriors I had ever seen. It was a logical choice."

"Yes, I met him a few minutes ago. Quite young to have such reputation already"

Felix sheathed both swords and looked at his father "You haven't say why are you here"

"A father doesn't need a reason to visit his son at school"

Felix snorted "Don't try to make jokes, old man. It doesn't suit you at all"

Rodrigue sighed and turned to watch the trees "I came to deliver a message to Lady Rhea. It's about the oldest son of Margrave Gautier, he has turned rogue and gathered a small group of bandits."

"Does Sylvain know?"

"If he doesn't he will soon. But that's not all. He had stolen the hero's relic of his house, the Lance of Ruin"

Felix remembered Miklan, he was always a distant man even before Felix and his friends became a little bitter in their relationship after Glenn's death. When he disappeared years before they came to the academy Sylvain was a little down for a few months, although Felix suspected that it had to do more with there troublesome sibling relationship than actual concern for his brother's wellbeing.

"I suppose they will send a group to take care of him," Felix said.

"Yes, I'm sure Lady Rhea will make the right decision."

He looked into his father's eyes for a moment "Is that it? I need to go train"

"No, I actually have another thing to discuss with you," Rodrigue said handing him an envelope. He took it and opened it. It was a list of names with some dates to the side of each.

"What is this?"

"It's a list of possible brides, the dates written are days where you can ask for a leave from the Monastery to go see them, I already talked with your teacher about it"

Felix narrowed his eyes "I thought we already talked about this, I'm not gonna marry some unknown girl to make her life miserable just for your convenience"

"Felix, how long are you going to keep this rebel phase? I'm not going to be here forever and you need to secure the Fraldarius bloodline. You only have a few months before your school year ends and after that, you will start to take responsibilities as future Duke."

"I don't need a wife to do your damn job" he spat.

"I can see that," Rodrigue said finally showing a blink of anger, his eyes narrowed just like his son making him looked like an old and dangerous eagle. "Still, you must past down your crest and your title eventually, and I'll feel more confident if you have someone to do that after I give you the title. You can't be a child forever"

Felix snorted again and shoving the paper against his father's chest "I don't have to follow your lead, after all, I'm not the son you wanted. I'm just the one you have left, the spare."

"Is that really what you think, son?" This time Rodrigue really looked hurt but Felix wasn't buying it.

"Don't worry about your filthy title. Eventually, I'll marry an unfortunate woman and have a miserable kid. And I'll do the same thing that Glenn did to Ingrid, just like you want"

Rodrigue frowned but he turned to the woods without saying another word and Felix took it as a sign to take off. 

He rather was just like any other nobleman, always worried about their title and the means to preserve the power of their crest. And the knights were the worst kind of nobleman, throwing their lives away and abandoning their families just to fulfill a twisted sense of honor. And Ashe and Ingrid were stupid enough to admire such foolish ideals. 

What could be more honorable than to protect your family? To protect the person you love with all your heart. Felix wouldn't ever find out, he wasn't allowed to marry anyone he loved. 

Besides, is not like he truly has those feelings for anyone. 

Ingrid was like an older sister to him. Lysithea and Bernadetta were weird but they were good people so it wouldn't feel right to chained them to a horrible marriage. Dorothea might work, she was clearly interested in him and wouldn't probably care to bare a child in exchange for a life full of luxury.

He suddenly stopped, thinking for a moment when the image of Annette in a wedding dress passed through his brain. 

What did he think about Annette?

She was a nice girl that's for sure, she was smiling all the time and her clumsiness felt almost charming. She was sharp on her dance steps yet so off in his usual footing. Her voice was-

_ What the fuck are you thinking you imbecile?  _ He said to himself shaking his head and trying to erase the dangerously pleasant though of the Dominic girl. A training session with the dummy should do it.

**-O-**

She ran fast trying not to trip on her own feet while carrying her books.

He was here, he was actually here, after so many months waiting, after so many years searching. She finally reached the cathedral, it was already dawn so there weren't many people around, in fact, the cathedral was almost empty save for a few priests. She felt cold in her chest while looking around afraid that she was already late. But then her eyes stopped on a big solitary figure near the altar.

"Father!" She said feeling her eyes watering. He was older, his red hair showed some white lines across his ponytail. He turned to see her and then turned back again. "Father?"

Again he didn't turn.

"Father, why do you pretend not to recognize me?" She said finally stepping close to him.

He moved his head but she still didn't see her "Annette...I-"

"I've been looking everywhere for you" she interrupted "Please don't treat me like a stranger. I can't bear it!"

Silence again, Annette felt her heart broke, she couldn't believe that after all this year's apart this was 'warm' welcome she received.

Gilbert started walking away.

"Father, wait! Why are you avoiding me like this?!"

He stopped without turning "I have lost the right to face you or your mother"

"This has nothing to do with rights! We're family. I'm your daughter." She said feeling a lump in her throat.

"Indeed, you are my daughter. Yet I am no father. I am only a fool who abandoned his family"

"You really think it was foolish to abandon us?"

"I do"

She closed her first trying to hide her sadness with rage, it didn't help with the trembling in her voice "Then the least you can do is apologize. I'm fine, but Mother deserves as much. I've finished my studies at the school of sorcery and entered the Officers Academy. I have a busy and satisfying life now."

"But Mother...She's waited for you to return all this time, living under my uncle's roof."

A few minutes of silence.

"I...I am sorry, Annette"

He stomped on the marble floor with force "I already told you. Don't say that to me. Apologize to Mother! Let her see your face!"

"That I cannot do. I know you do not understand, but it is the way of things. As for you, Annette. Say the word, and I will disappear from your life forever." He started walking away "For now though, I mist to return to my duties."

She tried to reach out to him but her legs wouldn't respond, she felt like something as hit her hard, like a giant hammer. She couldn't hold back tears now and had to gather all her strength to not to sob. "Father...how could you be so cruel"

She never thought it would be so hard, she never thought it would hurt so much. She had done everything in her power to reach him, all her work was to reach this very moment.

And he didn't even turn to look at her.

Annette walked back to her dorm almost in a trance, like a living doll without a soul. There was a certain moment she let go on the books in her arms, her strength failing her.

She entered her room and let herself go to sorrow. 

**-O-**

Mercedes approached him while he was leaving his food tray near the kitchen.

"Hello, Felix. I had been looking for Annie and Ingrid told me she was training with you."

"We did train but once we finished she went to the cathedral, she was looking from some Gilbert. Don't remember his last name though"

Mercedes opened her eyes wide "Gilbert? Are you sure?"

"Yeah" For a second his classmate looked a little pale "Mercedes, is something wrong?"

She smiled a little but Felix didn't need to be an expert to notice she was faking it. "Don't worry, she is probably in her room. I haven't checked there actually"

He shrugged "Should have been the first place to search"

"Yes, you're right, thank you, Felix."

She walked away leaving Felix with his thoughts. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, the expression on Mercedes' face left him uneasy.

Who was this Gilbert? Maybe a distant relative of Annette? He didn't have the family name that's for sure, but Annette knew him.

He left the dining hall and walked to the training grounds for one last training lesson for the day. 

The corridors were dark already, the nice moonlight painted the stones of the monastery combining with the soothing silence.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw something on the floor near the dorms, it was difficult to see in the darkness since it was near the bushes. Felix walked towards it and picked up two books from the ground. He narrowed his eyes, he recognized those books.

There were the same he and Annette used that same evening to train his spells. Why were they here?

He looked up seeing Annette's dorm.

He didn't think twice and knocked on the door.

"Go away, Mercie" Annette's voice said. It sounded muffled and weird.

"It's Felix," he said. "Mercedes was looking for you."

"I don't want to talk to anyone" This time Felix heard a sob clearly. Was she crying?

"Annette, are you okay?" 

"Yes!" She said annoyed and a little too fast. "Go away"

Felix tried to open the door but it was locked.

"Annette, if don't open the door I will kick it down, and I don't think you want half of the Monastery in here"

He waited for a few seconds and finally, she opened the door. 

Annette always had a small specter of pink on her cheeks that looked quite nice with her red hair. But this time her face and neck were really red and the little make up she had on was all over her face and her hair was down. She was indeed crying.

"What do you want?"

"What happened to you?"

"Nothing," she said looking away from him.

"Am I supposed to believe that? Looked at you! Does this have to do with that Gilbert?" She closed her eyes as if he just slapped her in the face confirming Felix's suspicions. He could have walked away and let her work this out by herself. But she looked so miserable and sad, he couldn't do it.

"Can I go in?"

For a moment he feared she would say no, but in the end, she stepped aside opening the door for him. 

Her room was almost the same as any other in the academy, a few books rested on her nightstand and desk, three small dolls sitting just over the desk, a sweet fragrance came from the flowers in the window.

Felix closed the door behind him while Annette sat on her bed turning away from him.

"Tell me what happened," he said crossing his arms.

"Felix, I really don't want to talk about it"

"Maybe, but you're just going to suffer more if you bottle up your feelings. It would not let you think straight or even concentrate."

"Is that why you always are so rude?" She said with a sharp tone, it was weird coming from sweet Annette. "Do I need to be a jerk like you to avoid feeling this pain?"

He didn't even react to the insult "If it makes you feel better. But I still think you should talk about what that Gilbert told you"

He finally turned to him surprised but then she seemed to remember the way she reacted when she heard Gilbert's name and lowered her head in surrender.

Felix sat in the chair.

"He is my father, Felix." She said "He changed his name, but he is actually called Gustave Eddie Dominic"

"What?"

She nodded "He is a knight of Seiros, but years ago he served the Royal Family. I actually learned his new name from Dimitri and seems I came to the academy I had been looking for him. To tell him to come back home"

"Back home? What do you mean?"

"After the Tragedy of Duscur, he went away from home and joined the Knights of Seiros. I think he feels guilty about what happened to the king. I remember the night he left, I was about eight years old and he didn't even say goodbye, he just opened the door and walked away."

She gripped her skirt lightly. "I spent almost half my life wishing for him to come back. My mother cried so much. And decided to do something about it"

"You came to the academy to look for him," he said.

"Yes, I worked hard at the school of sorcery and got the invitation to the officer's academy. And now I found him" she started crying again "But he didn't even look at me, he just said that he didn't have the right to look at me. Is like he wants to suffer, but what he doesn't know is that he is making me suffer too."

She used her sleeve to dry the tears off her face "I guess, I'm not enough for him, no enough to overcome his guilt."

"Don't say that" he said raising his gaze "Don't you ever say that" She turned to look at him and Felix leaned forward. "You must never think that you are less of a person just because somebody else is not capable of appreciating the hard work you do."

Felix handed her the magic books, she looked at him with puzzled eyes. "There's nobody in the Blue Lions or the Black Eagles who works as much as you do, Annette. But don't give Gilbert the credit for what you did. You didn't graduate from the school of sorcery because of him, you didn't reach this point thanks to him, he wasn't there. All you did was because you have the strength and intelligence to overcome those obstacles"

Annette opened her mouth in surprise while Felix stood up "Keep working hard, Annette. Is the best you can do, and you will find the strength to stand tall and proud without the help of anybody else. Not even your father."

Maybe Annette didn't notice, but she had already stopped crying. "Felix, I...thank you"

He shrugged "Don't think anything of it. I'm just telling you what works for me"

She finally let out a small laugh "Still, thank you, for everything you said."

He nodded and opened the door to go out, Felix looked to Annette one more time. She was finally smiling and waving her hand. "Goodnight"

Felix nodded and closed the door feeling somehow lighter as if he had let out some hidden thoughts that really needed to be said.

He tried to ignore the fluster in his cheeks that appeared right after Annette smiled.

**-O-**

In the end, the mission to recover the Lance of Ruin was assigned to the Black Eagles, although Sylvain asked Byleth to join the squad and the Professor didn't have the energy to argue with the young man. He was up all night two days straight thinking on how to approach the battle.

The tower was a death trap for Miklan and his bandits, either they were really desperate or they were setting up a trap. Byleth decided to believe the second one the most likely.

The place had only one entrance and one exit after the Byleth and his team enter they would be wide open for a sneak attack from behind. Thankfully, the knight Gilbert decided to accompany them and he made for fantastic support in the back.

The battle was slow but easy in general. With Edelgard, Caspar, and Ferdinand in the vanguard and Sylvain, Felix and Annette keeping an eye on the dark corners. Byleth stood in the middle protecting Linheart and Hubert.

And that was enough until they reached the center of the tower.

Miklan was very similar to Sylvain, but his body was a little bulkier and a horrible scar traveling down his face. He was wielding the Lance of Ruin that, much as the Sword of The Creator, it looked like it was made out of bones. The red crest stone in the tip shone as if it was alive.

"Edelgard, Felix, Annette, and Sylvain, come with me," Byleth said, "Hubert, take the lead, stay here and hold the rest of the bandits while we take care of the leader."

Hubert nodded, luckily the man finally was following Byleth's leadership and his objections had become fewer.

The five of them walked through the darkness and found Miklan when he saw them he made a weird smile that could make any boy cry. His mouth made a strange angle due to the scar.

"So you have come, you crest-bearing fool," Miklan said.

Sylvain prepared his spear "We are here for the Lance of Ruin, Miklan. Hand it over and this won't get worse than it already is"

"You think I would surrender to you? It's your fault that I'm here in the first place, you took everything from me"

Sylvain frowned transforming his usual carefree expression "You always do that, blaming me for all the bad things that happened to you as if I asked for this damn crest! If I have a choice I would give it to you just for us to be a normal family again"

Miklan snorted "I have no family. But if you wish, I will take your head off your neck and put it alongside your father's once I get to him"

"You are not going anywhere, Miklan. This ends here"

The bandit didn't say another word. He ran towards them like a boulder with his giant armor.

Byleth didn't lose any time and expanded the Sword of The Creator trying to slow the enemy down, but Miklan quickly stopped and let the sword tangle across his lance, Miklan smiled.

_ Oh shit.  _ Byleth cursed to himself when the bandit used his strength to throw him against a wall.

"Shit!" He screamed while slamming to the wall forcing out all the air in his lungs out.

Byleth stood up as quickly as he could while Sylvain and Felix charged against Miklan, but the man just swung the lance hitting both the students' blades and pushed them back. Edelgard managed to squeeze between the two sneaking a blow with her ax. Miklan raised his shield, the metal clashing sounded like an explosion in echoing in the empty tower.

Miklan charged forward hitting Edelgard with his shield, Annette shot a wind spell, that made enough damage to blow away part of the man's armor.

Byleth charged again and clashed swords with Mikail. Even though they were evenly matched by the Hero's Relics, the red-headed man was stronger and Byleth didn't take long to notice his arms buckling against the pressure.

He saw Felix approached from behind and Byleth kicked Miklan in the chest, it was like hitting a wall but it was enough to make him back down. Felix sneaked a blow to his neck but Miklan blocked once again but Felix was quick enough to slide his sword across the lance and elbowed Miklan right in the face.

Miklan spun around trying to hit Felix with his shield, the boy retreat with a quick move he learned from his new assassin class.

Sylvain and Edelgard attacked together but Miklan was capable of blocking both attacks with one hand. The students walked back and regrouped with the others.

"I thought it would be an easy fight with a Hero's Relic on our side," Felix said.

"I still haven't mastered it yet," Byleth said

Miklan laughed "Not bad for your kind. A bunch of spoiled rotten children"

A thunder flashed through one of the tower's numerous holes in the ceiling replacing the light of the Hero's relics for a second. 

But then something happened, the red stone in the Lance of Ruin started to glow differently, a strange black ooze started to cover the blade as Miklan saw with horror how it started to consume him next.

"What- with is his?!" He screamed followed by gutturals roars of pain.

For a second Sylvain tried to help his brother but Byleth stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder. Miklan had become a strange black mass and they had to back away when a claw came out of it. It was horrifying to see and it didn't get better when three other claws came to be.

Sylvain's brother disappeared from existence and was replaced for a big and strange creature.

Byleth had the coldest sense of deja vu remembering how Aelfric almost destroyed the cathedral in his monstrous form.

He snapped back into reality barking orders at the students.

"Fall back, people!" He said and the vanguard had to run back from where they came as the monster charged through the corridor throwing the other bandits around like dolls.

"What the hell is that thing!?" Felix yelled.

"Who knows, just keep running!" Annette screamed.

"We can let it out of here," said Edelgard looking at Byleth "If it goes into the woods it would be harder to catch. Not only that, but it could attack any village on the vicinities."

They went around a corner and they stopped in front of Hubert, Gilbert, and the others.

"You are right," said Byleth panting "We have to stop it, right here right now. Gilbert, do you think you and Caspar could hold it up for a few seconds"

"Held what up?" Caspar asked right when the monster came to view from the same corner they came.

"That," said Byleth pointing at it.

Gilbert didn't wait for an order and slammed his shield against the beast. Surprisingly the creature flinched to the blow demonstrating the knight's great strength.

Caspar followed through with a punch.

"Hubert, Annette, fire tour spells!" Byleth order and the two mages shot two balls of dak and fire magic hitting the monster in the face.

Byleth activated the Sword of The Creator slashing the monster's chest, the monster roared and ran towards a wall in pain and the tower crumbled, stones falling around them.

Byleth heard a yell, he turned around and saw Ferdinand on the floor, he didn't move.

Linhart ran toward the fallen students a looked at Byleth "It appears a rock fell on his head. It doesn't look serious but he will be out for a while"

Caspar tried to attack the monster again but this time it was faster than before and with a quick motion it struck Caspar with his giant claw slamming him to a pillar.

Caspar was trying to get up when the monster raised its claw again. Gilbert jumped through and used his shield to hold the claw up.

"Quickly, go!" The knight said letting Caspar escape.

The monster raised the other claw and hit Gustav on the side.

"Father!" Annette screamed and before anyone could stop her, she ran towards.

"Annette no!" Felix yelled but she didn't listen to him. The girl stood just a few meters from the monster and raised her arms summoning five, ten, twenty magic circles. It was a true achievement even for a high-level mage, but the small girl.

She stumbled for a second but then Annette moved her arms as if she was a puppet master and a crowd of whirlwinds materialized and started to cut down the monster like invisible knives.

She roared with a voice not natural for a girl of his size as the magic storm raged on and died down a few moments later.

When the circles disappeared the monster was barely sat ding up, arms were missing and the mouth was sliced up in a weird angle in a bizarre resemblance to the late Miklan.

Annette stumbled again, fell on her knees, and finally, her face hit the ground. The monster roared weakly but tried to stomp on Annette.

"Edelgard!" Said Byleth and she nodded.

"Roger that!"

They both ran and jumped wielding both their weapons unleashing a cross slash attack on the monster. 

The creature let out one final dying roar and fell on it's back. It quickly started to deteriorate like a dead body rotating at high speed, it became a black mass again and it dissolved. In the end, nothing was left of the monster or Miklan for that matter, just the Lance of Ruin.

Sylvain took the Hero's relic while Felix approached Annette. He cradled the girl in his arms brushing a few hairs from her face, she was awfully pale and unconscious.

Byleth sighted "Alright people, mission accomplished. Let's get back to the monastery, quickly, we need to take Annette and Ferdinand to the healers."

**-O-**

They arrived at the monastery after half a day of travel, it was already night but Byleth couldn't sleep. That was becoming more and more of a habit for him the more he submerged in this strange world he came to know when he came to the monastery.

He raised his arm a little summoning his unclear crest on top of it. The crests were becoming a haunting topic for him, to see Aelfric and Miklan turned in to that beast made his stomach hurt, supposedly that's what happens to anyone who used a Hero's relic without bearing the respective crest.

But it wasn't just that.

He reported to Rhea of course, and the bishop just had a cold look on her face while saying sweet words of acknowledgment. Byleth knew she was keeping secrets from him and that was probably what had made his father Jeralt leave the Knights of Seiros so long ago. 

Byleth also discovered a few texts in the library of the Abyss, most of them were useless in practice but it clearly implied that the church had actively pursued groups and people who even threatened to undermine their rule.

Something was happening inside the church, something that Rhea wasn't telling anyone. And it smelled like blood and death.

He was sitting on the wall near the classrooms where a dark forest stood against the stone. 

"Is this brooding going to become a hobby of yours?" a voice in his head said. "Because doesn't seem like is amusing at all."

"I'm not brooding, I'm just thinking," he said.

"I can understand you feel unsettled by these past events. But we can't have you losing your sleep because of it"

Byleth snorted "You sound like my mother"

"May I remind you I'm part of you? This whatever happens to you it will affect me."

"And here I thought you were worried about me"

"Professor, who are you talking to?" A voice came from behind.

Byleth jumped a little when Edelgard leaned into the wall next to him.

"Oh, I was...uhm...just trying to bring some thoughts into perspective"

"I see and you talk to yourself to gather those thoughts, I do that sometimes"

"You do?"

"Yes, that is how us geniuses think after all"

Byleth narrowed his eyes seeing Edelgard's smiling face "I can't shake the feeling that you are pulling my leg"

"Professor Byleth, I'm shocked and appalled that that is your opinion of me," she said as her smile widen.

"Okay I get it, princess of jokesters," he said let it out a sight.

"I'm thought that title belonged to Claude"

"You are not far behind"

"Well may know what you were doing here?"

"I'm just thinking about some of the things we saw in the tower. By the way, how is everyone?"

She sat next to him on top of the wall "Sir Gilbert and Caspard received minor bruises, luckily they had quality armor equipped and they have enough muscular mass to protect them. Ferdinand just woke up but Manuela insisted for him to sleep some more, still, there should not be any permanent damage."

"What about Annette?"

Edelgard's face darkened a little "She will fine, but he used almost all her magic reserve including the one from her crest. She would probably not wake up for a day or two. Felix and Mercedes are with her right now."

"Well, at least she is safe." He sat there looking at the darkness of the forest letting his mind wander once again.

"Professor, what's wrong?" She asked with concern.

"Edelgard, your family had been a great ally of the church since the War of Heroes, right?"

"Yes, since my ancestor Wilhelm Paul Hresvelg helped Saint Seiros to defeat the King Nemesis in the imperial year 32."

"Do you think that maybe, ancestral ideals or even teachings passed down through centuries could be wanted and even twisted?"

"It's an interesting question," she said holding her hands together "But it as darl connotations am afraid. You see, the winners always make history as they see fit in other to benefit their rule over people. Even my family is guilty of that and I'm sure the church is not oblivious to this."

"We live in a world where everything is dictated by specific social rules established hundreds of years ago. A great part of them are unfair"

Byleth snorted "So is it bad for me to think that something is wrong with society just because it is how this system was established. Does that turned people like Miklan into bad people?"

Edelgard nodded "I get what you think. It's such a waste that a strong man like him had to be renounced to his birthright just for not bearing a crest. That doesn't excuse the things he did, but the fact that there are people like Miklan or Lonato goes to show that we don't live in a perfect society as the church wants us to believe"

Edelgard stood up on the wall, for some reason Byleth felt strange energy coming from her, the moon shined against her big violet eyes. She might not have been Emperor yet, but she clearly had the aura of authority. 

"But that is what I want to change, in some way or another" Edelgard said. "Even if the road is hard or painful. A real society guided by true justice, yes, that is worth fighting for. So please, my teacher, keep up the good work, in the end, you will see that all of it was worth the effort."

Byleth smiled "You really talk like a real queen you know? It's like you were born for it."

She jumped off the wall keeping her straight posture "I'm just a woman with the conviction and the resources. I just want to use them in the best way possible. Good night professor"

And then she strolled towards the dorms, always elegant, always moving with purpose.

Still, Byleth knew that there was more to her than that. She was beautiful and had a strong sense of duty of a true noble lady, but she was also vulnerable in other ways, she felt sympathy for the others. She truly wanted to.make the most of the good things in her life.

That moment, Byleth felt something in his chest, it was quick and died down faster than he could fully register. Watching Edelgard walked away with her crimson red cape, was like seeing a beautiful cardinal bird bringing color to anyone who needed it.

He placed his hand on his chest right where his heart was, trying to catch that sensation again.

"What...what was that?" He asked but not even Sothis came up with an answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gee, this chapter was looooonngg. But that's what happens when I try to stuff up a lot of things into my writing.   
> Even though I had been using a lot of dialogue from the support conversations I do want to give them a few tweaks here and there.  
> Something important I wanted to say, I do t know if it will be on the next chapter or the one after, but I'll be adding two additional POVs into the story. Usually, it's easy for me to write when there is a lot of MCs involved.  
> Once again, thank you very much for reading and following this story, you guys are fantastic.


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